Trump welcomes Xi at White House state dinner seeking rapport
President Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, bringing together major tech and business leaders.
The warm greeting at Joint Base Andrews and the formal dinner signaled Trump's effort to build personal rapport with Xi, even as Trump and Xi face tensions over Taiwan, trade, and artificial intelligence.
Guest list mirrored Xi's Beijing dinner
The guest list mirrored Xi's previous Beijing dinner for Trump, with familiar faces like Sam Altman and Jensen Huang.
First Lady Melania Trump picked out a menu featuring yellow squash veloute and sesame-crusted sea bass.
The evening included a troop review ceremony for both leaders, a nod to shifting diplomatic vibes, and marked a notable change from Trump's earlier stance against such formal events.