President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will roll out an elaborate menu Thursday evening as they host Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for a state dinner at the White House.
The dinner, which will take place in the East Room, features a menu that combines American ingredients with subtle Chinese influences in an effort to bring together the culinary traditions of the two countries, according to the Office of the First Lady.
Melania Trump led preparations for the dinner, which will be attended by members of the official delegations, government officials, and prominent American business leaders.
The East Room during an official state dinner at the White House during the visit of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on April 28, 2026. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The evening will begin with a toast featuring Schramsberg “Blanc De Noir,” which the White House says is the same American sparkling wine served during the historic “Toast to Peace” between President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972. However, Schramsberg’s website reports that the wine served at that dinner was its 1969 Blanc de Blancs.
The first course will be a yellow squash velouté accompanied by wild mushroom fricassée, crispy pancetta, and scallion oil.
The soup highlights the sweetness of seasonal yellow squash, while the mushroom fricassée adds earthy flavors and fresh herbs. The crispy pancetta provides a smoky, savory element, while scallion oil adds a bright finish, according to the first lady’s office.
President Richard Nixon toasts Zhou Enlai, the Chinese Prime Minister, during a state banquet in Beijing. (Photo by: Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
For the second course, guests will be served sea bass with braised baby bok choy, roasted garden eggplant, and sauce verte.
The sea bass will be coated in toasted sesame seeds, giving the fish a nutty crust while keeping the interior tender. The dish incorporates ingredients commonly associated with Chinese cuisine, including sesame and bok choy, while the roasted eggplant and herb-based sauce provide complementary flavors.
For dessert, guests will be served vanilla crémeux and White House honey ice cream, accompanied by walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit.
The honey will come from the White House’s newest beehive, unveiled in April. Handcrafted by a local artisan in the shape of the White House, the hive added two colonies to the two already producing White House honey.
The White House beehive (The White House)
The dessert will feature a smooth vanilla crémeux with a sour cherry center atop walnut frangipane. The dessert will be presented in a fruit-shaped form, adding another visual element to the formal meal, according to the Office of the First Lady.
The dinner’s décor will also incorporate Chinese cultural influences.
Red — a color with longstanding cultural significance in China — will feature prominently throughout the East Room. The White House says the tables will be covered in rich red linens and decorated with dahlias and ranunculus, while urns will feature arrangements of red blossoms.
The tables will also feature vermeil from the White House collection and the Reagan State Service, blending Chinese-inspired décor with American presidential tradition.
The Reagan china set, featuring alternating gold and red bands with the Presidential Seal. (The White House Historical Association)
Guests will be treated to performances throughout the formal dinner, headlined by Christopher Macchio, the classically trained tenor who performed at Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration. Military musicians will also perform, including “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the United States Army Chorus, and the United States Army Strings.
The White House has not released a complete guest list to the media, but several prominent American business and technology leaders are expected to attend. They include Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, Apple executive chairman Tim Cook, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, according to reports.
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Chair and CEO Lisa Su confirmed she will attend the dinner, Fox Business reported.
The presence of so many technology and business leaders comes as artificial intelligence, trade, technology, and the broader U.S.-China economic relationship are expected to feature prominently in Trump and Xi’s discussions.
It remains less clear who will attend from the Chinese business community, though reports suggest Chinese CEOs could accompany Xi.
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