# Trump hosts Xi at glitzy state dinner

> President Trump threw a tech-heavy state dinner for China's leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, featuring billionaires, sea bass, and a tour of his new White House ballroom.
- Title: Trump hosts Xi at glitzy state dinner · NPR | Shortify
- Summary: President Trump threw a tech-heavy state dinner for China's leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, featuring billionaires, sea bass, and a tour of his new White…
- Keywords: donald trump, xi jinping, state dinner, china, united states, white house, tech industry, diplomacy, news, Trump, hosts, glitzy
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/25/g-s1-144973/trump-state-dinner-xi
- Published: 2026-09-25T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: donald trump, xi jinping, state dinner, china, united states, white house, tech industry, diplomacy, news
## Trump hosts Xi at state dinner
President Donald Trump threw a state dinner on Thursday, September twenty-fourth for China's leader Xi Jinping at the White House, featuring a tech-heavy guest list and lavish details.
## Trump and Xi discuss major tensions
During business hours, Trump and Xi discussed tensions over Taiwan, trade and artificial intelligence. Trump praised their close personal relationship despite criticizing Democratic candidates as communists.
## Trump's toast emphasizes shared goals
Trump said during his toast that he and Xi represent different systems but their ties endure. He added they can build a relationship promoting prosperity and security for future generations.

> President Xi and I both understand we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure, and we've never gotten along better.
## Xi responds with his own toast
Xi noted that Trump has pledged to make America great again and that China is committed to achieving great national rejuvenation. He said these two goals are ambitious and mutually reinforcing.

> These two goals are both ambitious and can surely be mutually reinforcing.
## Fashion on display at the dinner
Trump wore a tuxedo. First lady Melania Trump wore a white Saint Laurent cotton poplin blouse, black silk cummerbund and black brocade pants from Dolce and Gabbana with a peony motif.
## Xi and his wife dress formally
Xi chose a black suit. His wife, Peng Liyuan, wore a red gown. The East Room featured low lighting and place settings with elegant red and gold decor.
## Tech titans attend the dinner
Guests included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Bernard Arnault of LVMH, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Dell CEO Michael Dell.
## Trump pitches his new ballroom
Trump went off script to invite dinner guests to see his White House ballroom under construction on the South Lawn. He said the project was a year from completion and called it the Great Hall of the United States.

> If I could go off script just for a second, I just want to say I had to do it.
## Menu features sea bass and squash
The first lady helped craft the menu, served on red china from Ronald Reagan's presidency. Guests dined on yellow squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass with braised baby bok choy, and vanilla crémeux with sour cherry confit.
## Trump one-ups Xi's Beijing dinner
Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife on Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews, an unusual step. In May, Xi hosted Trump at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with tech luminaries including Tim Cook and Elon Musk.
## Trump's past criticism of state dinners
In two thousand fifteen, when Obama prepared to host Xi, Trump criticized the hubbub during his first presidential run. He said to just take Xi to McDonald's and go back to negotiating, later conceding Xi might deserve probably a double-size Big Mac.

> Just take them to McDonald's and go back to the negotiating table.
## Key takeaway

Trump hosted a lavish state dinner for China's Xi Jinping on September twenty-fourth, showcasing tech titans and White House upgrades as the two leaders discussed tensions over Taiwan, trade and artificial intelligence.