US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a White House state dinner on Thursday, bringing together senior political figures, business leaders and some of the biggest names in the global technology industry.
Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI chief Sam Altman were among the prominent tech executives at the dinner.
Their presence put technology and artificial intelligence in focus alongside the wider discussions surrounding US-China relations, trade and other areas of disagreement between Washington and Beijing.
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The dinner came after a day filled with ceremonial events at the White House as Trump welcomed Xi for his state visit to the United States. While the formal proceedings projected close engagement between the two leaders, tensions between the world’s two largest economies remained visible.
Trump hosts Xi Jinping at White House state dinner
Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House before the state dinner. The visit featured a formal welcome ceremony, a military parade, a flyover and a tour of the new White House helipad.
Trump later described the discussions with Xi positively. During the dinner, he said, “President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure.”
Earlier in the day, Trump said he and Xi had made “tremendous strides”. Later, after their talks, he described the discussions as a “Great meeting”.
The event also drew protesters outside the White House. Demonstrators chanted “Xi Jinping is not welcome” and “Free Hong Kong,” according to AFP reporters at the scene.
Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Sam Altman attend dinner
The attendance of Musk, Cook, Huang and Altman brought some of the world’s most influential technology executives into a diplomatic setting dominated by discussions over US-China relations.
Artificial intelligence was one of the important subjects during Xi’s visit. The technology sector has become increasingly important to the relationship between Washington and Beijing, particularly as both countries compete over AI development and related technologies.
Xi addressed the issue directly during his remarks. Calling for the United States and China to “coexist in peace”, he said, “China and the United States must act as responsible major countries.”
The Chinese president also stressed that there should be “no conflict and no confrontation” between the two countries. On artificial intelligence, Xi said the technology must remain “always under human control.”
Xi also urged Trump to exercise “prudence” over Taiwan and oppose independence for the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its territory. He also called for an end to the Iran war “through negotiation as soon as possible.”
Trump gifts Xi a bald eagle statue
The formal dinner included a symbolic gift from Trump to Xi. The US president presented the Chinese leader with a custom-made statue of a bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States.
The menu for the evening included yellow squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass and vanilla cremeux served with White House honey ice cream.
After the meal, Trump invited the guests to visit the construction site of the White House’s new ballroom, which is expected to cost $400 million.
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“In honor of you, you’ll be the first people to step foot on that,” Trump told the guests while referring to the building site.
US-China trade truce extended by two months
Despite the high-profile meeting and the presence of several major business leaders, the visit did not produce a major breakthrough on the broader US-China relationship.
One outcome was an extension of the existing trade truce between Washington and Beijing by two months, taking it through January. The report noted that this was shorter than the two-year extension Chinese officials had reportedly hoped for.
The trade relationship remains one of the central issues between the two countries, with tariffs and restrictions continuing to affect businesses and supply chains.
The state dinner therefore came against the backdrop of both economic negotiations and wider strategic disagreements involving artificial intelligence, Taiwan and Iran.
Military display and White House events
Xi’s visit began with a formal welcome on the White House South Lawn. Trump and Xi later watched a military parade held on the newly paved-over Rose Garden.
US military aircraft also took part in a flyover. Among them was a B-2 bomber, the same type of aircraft used in last year’s US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The two leaders then moved to the Oval Office for talks. Trump made a light-hearted remark about the Chinese press corps while discussing the meeting.
Later, Trump showed Xi the new White House helipad and took the Chinese president aboard Marine One. Their public appearances highlighted the ceremonial side of the state visit even as major disagreements remained unresolved.
What happens next?
Xi’s US visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday. Before leaving, Xi and Peng Liyuan are expected to visit the US National Archives with Trump and Melania Trump.
The National Archives houses important founding documents of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence. The visit comes as the country marks its 250th anniversary this year.
The White House dinner, meanwhile, brought diplomacy and the technology industry together at a time when AI, trade and US-China relations remain closely connected. The presence of Musk, Cook, Huang and Altman reflected the growing importance of technology in the relationship between Washington and Beijing.