Washington, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan at a White House state dinner on Thursday evening, with a three-course menu combining American ingredients with subtle Chinese culinary influences.
The dinner will be held in the East Room, with members of the official delegations, business leaders and government officials attending. Melania Trump led preparations for the event.
The evening will begin with a toast featuring Schramsberg “Blanc De Noir”, an American sparkling wine selected in reference to the “Toast to Peace” shared by former US President Richard Nixon and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai during Nixon’s 1972 visit to Beijing. The White House said the same sparkling wine continues to be served at White House functions.
The first course will be yellow squash velouté served with wild mushroom fricassée, crispy pancetta and scallion oil. The smooth squash soup will be accompanied by mushrooms sautéed with fresh herbs, while pancetta will provide a savoury, smoky contrast and scallion oil a finishing touch.
The main course will feature sesame-crusted sea bass with braised baby bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and sauce verte. The sea bass will be coated with toasted sesame seeds, while the vegetables will add contrasting textures and flavours.
For dessert, guests will be served vanilla crémeux and White House honey ice cream with walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit. The dessert will have a fruit-shaped form, with sour cherry confit at its centre, while the ice cream will be made using honey harvested at the White House.
The White House said the menu brings together American ingredients and culinary elements associated with China, including scallion oil, sesame and bok choy.
Classically trained tenor Christopher Macchio, who performed at Trump’s 2025 presidential inauguration, will headline the entertainment. Military musicians from the US Marine Corps and US Army 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.
Red will dominate the East Room décor, reflecting the colour’s longstanding cultural significance in China. The tables will feature rich red linens, dahlias, ranunculus and red blossoms, along with vermeil from the White House collection and pieces from the Reagan State Service.
The dinner’s reference to Nixon and Zhou’s 1972 toast also recalls a pivotal moment in US-China relations. Nixon’s visit to Beijing marked a major step in the opening of relations between Washington and Beijing, and the White House has incorporated that history into the reception for Xi and Peng.
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