dexinwin WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2026— Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, attended a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday evening, as part of Xi’s state visit to the United States.
Xi and Peng were warmly received by Trump and Melania upon arriving at the White House. The two presidential couples posed for photographs and greeted guests attending the dinner before the event began.
The dinner was one of the major events of Xi’s three-day state visit, which runs from Sept. 23 to 25. The visit follows Trump’s visit to China in May, meaning the two countries’ presidents have exchanged visits within less than six months.
Xi and Trump Deliver Remarks
Xi and Trump each delivered remarks at the beginning of the dinner.
Xi extended greetings to people from all sectors in the United States who care about and support China-U.S. relations, and offered his wishes for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In his remarks, Xi recalled several important moments in the history of interaction between the Chinese and American peoples, including early trade between the two countries, their cooperation during World War II, the “Ping-Pong Diplomacy” of the 1970s and more recent examples of people-to-people friendship.
Xi said that China-U.S. relations are now at a new historical starting point and argued that the two countries’ respective development goals can coexist. He called for continued efforts to explore a way for major countries to interact and cooperate while managing differences.
“Let us work hand in hand, jointly nurture the beautiful flowers of China-U.S. friendship, and jointly write a new chapter of friendship between China and the United States,” Xi said in his toast.
Trump also spoke at the dinner, recalling his visit to China in May and saying that the warmth and hospitality of the Chinese people had left a deep impression on him.
He noted the long histories of both countries and their longstanding people-to-people exchanges. Trump said that although China and the United States have different political systems, he wanted to work with Xi on maintaining mutual respect and continuing to develop ties between the two countries.
A Dinner Highlighting People-to-People Ties
The dinner provided a setting for officials and representatives from different sectors to meet alongside the two presidents.
The event also included artistic performances by American performers, contributing to the cultural dimension of the evening. Chinese officials including Cai Qi, Wang Yi and He Lifeng attended the dinner.
The emphasis on people-to-people relations was also visible elsewhere in Xi’s visit.
Earlier on Sept. 24, Peng Liyuan visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art with Melania Trump. The two first ladies toured galleries including the Peacock Room and discussed the return of Chinese cultural artifacts as well as cultural heritage cooperation. They also watched American teenagers perform Chinese songs and spoke with the young performers.
A New Meeting Point for China-U.S. Relations
The state dinner came on the same day that Xi and Trump held formal talks at the White House.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi said that the two presidents’ reciprocal visits within less than half a year were unprecedented in the history of China-U.S. relations. He said the two sides should work to turn their shared vision into practical cooperation, with cooperation playing a major role, competition remaining within appropriate limits, differences being managed and peace remaining achievable.
The discussions come against a backdrop of extensive economic ties as well as differences over trade, technology, artificial intelligence and security issues.
The dinner itself was not a negotiating session, but it provided a ceremonial and social setting for the two leaders and representatives from both countries to interact following their formal talks.
Looking Back at More Than Five Decades of Engagement
Xi used his dinner remarks to recall several milestones in China-U.S. relations.
He referred to the two countries’ early commercial exchanges, their cooperation during World War II, the Ping-Pong Diplomacy of more than five decades ago and examples of ordinary people contributing to friendship between the two countries.
Those references placed Thursday night’s dinner within a much longer history of interaction between the Chinese and American peoples.
The symbolism of the event was therefore not limited to the White House ceremony itself. From diplomatic exchanges and trade to education, culture and personal friendships, people-to-people contacts have formed one part of the broader relationship between the two countries.
From Ceremony to Continued Dialogue
The White House state dinner marked another highly visible moment in Xi’s Washington visit.
Earlier in the day, Trump hosted a formal arrival ceremony for Xi at the White House. The two presidents delivered remarks, reviewed a military honor guard and later held talks in the Oval Office.
By Thursday evening, the formal ceremonies had given way to a dinner attended by the two presidential couples and guests from different sectors.
The dinner did not remove the differences that exist between Beijing and Washington, but it provided another occasion for the two sides to maintain direct contact and discuss the broader relationship.
As Xi’s state visit enters its final stage, attention will turn to the concrete results of the leaders’ discussions and to how the two governments implement any understandings reached during the visit.
微信扫一扫打赏
支付宝扫一扫打赏