The state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping brought together more than 100 attendees, predominantly U.S. government officials, business leaders, and their spouses. The Chinese delegation, led by Xi and including only a handful of seven officials, represented primarily government roles rather than business interests. Xi highlighted that the talks with Trump had added significant new substance to U.S.-China relations during his toast. The meeting included exchanges of symbolic gifts, with Trump presenting Xi a statue of a bald eagle.

Several major U.S. technology companies were prominently represented at the dinner. Apple Chairman Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended along with other notable tech leaders like AMD’s Lisa Su and Elon Musk. While many of the biggest names from the tech sector were present, the AI company Anthropic was notably absent from the guest list. The notable concentration of tech executives underscored the importance of technological ties amid the broader geopolitical discussions.

The elegant menu featured dishes like yellow squash velouté with pancetta, sesame-crusted sea bass over baby bok choy, and a dessert crafted from White House honey, reflecting the ceremony’s high-profile nature. The dinner was also attended by members of Trump’s extended family, including First Lady Melania Trump’s father Viktor Knavs. The event marked Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States since the Obama administration more than a decade ago, with Xi arriving on Wednesday and departing Friday after this high-profile diplomatic engagement.

Other influential figures at the dinner included U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his spouse, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and key business leaders such as Larry Fink of BlackRock, Jamie Dimon from JPMorgan, and Jeff Bezos of Amazon. High-ranking members of the U.S. Supreme Court, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, were also present. The gathering highlighted a broad cross-section of American political, judicial, and corporate leadership engaging with China's top officials in a historic diplomatic event.