President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping traded warm public remarks at an opulent White House state dinner, but the evening produced little concrete progress on the thornier issues dividing the two powers.
At the dinner, Xi emphasized that artificial intelligence should remain "under human control" and urged both nations to act responsibly as major powers. Trump returned the compliment, toasting a future of "harmony, peace and success" for the United States and China and saying the two leaders have never gotten along better. Despite the cordial atmosphere, underlying tensions persisted — notably over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own. Earlier in the day Xi pressed Trump to take a “correct position” on the self-governing island, while a major U.S. weapons package to Taiwan remains on hold.
The state dinner drew an array of influential guests from politics, business and technology. Billionaires, cabinet members and leaders of major tech companies sat among the invitees. Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Google’s Sundar Pichai, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang were present; Cook and Huang were seated at the same table as the two presidents. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg also attended, alongside executives from General Motors, Visa, ExxonMobil and entertainment and finance sectors. One notable absence was Anthropic; the company’s attendance or reasons for not being there were not confirmed.
Protesters gathered outside the White House during the event, some of whom were arrested. Inside, the tone was formal and ceremonial. Trump thanked Xi for visiting and praised the bilateral relationship, adding an unscripted and personal remark about the White House ballroom, which is still under renovation. He invited Xi and his wife to be among the first to see the refurbished space, and presented Xi with a sculpture of a bald eagle that he said symbolized America's free and soaring spirit — a gift he and First Lady Melania Trump said they helped design.
Xi reciprocated with gratitude for the hospitality extended to him and his wife. He described the meetings as historic and said the leaders had engaged in sincere, in-depth conversations aimed at building a stable, constructive relationship. Xi highlighted cultural and historical ties between the countries, from their shared sacrifices during World War Two’s fight against Japan to the thawing diplomatic gestures of the 1970s, such as ping-pong diplomacy. He suggested the U.S. and China could find mutually reinforcing goals and called for new ways for major powers to coexist.
The First Lady’s office curated a menu blending American ingredients with Chinese-influenced touches. Guests were served a starter featuring yellow squash, wild mushrooms and crispy pancetta on red tablecloths — a color associated with good fortune in China. The main course included sesame-crusted sea bass with braised bok choy and roasted eggplant. Dessert paired vanilla crèmeux with sour cherry confit and ice cream made using honey harvested from the White House grounds. Wine selections included a Schramsberg Blanc de Noir, a nod to the bottle used in President Richard Nixon’s 1972 “Toast to Peace” with Chinese premier Zhou Enlai.
The state visit also included more intimate events: the two presidents and their spouses were scheduled for tea in the White House’s Red Room before touring the National Archives, home to foundational American documents such as the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Xi and his wife were set to depart Washington later in the day.
Despite the polished speeches and ceremonial courtesies, the meeting left substantive policy questions unresolved. Both leaders praised cultural ties and emphasized stability, yet tensions over strategic matters — especially Taiwan and arms transfers — remain unresolved. The dinner highlighted how diplomacy can produce cordial optics even as complex policy disagreements persist behind the scenes.
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