China’s President Xi Jinping rolled out a grand welcome for Donald Trump during his first state visit to the country since 2017, using the occasion to display diplomatic confidence, cultural prestige, and high-level hospitality that ended with an elaborate nine-course banquet.
Even compared with typical state visits, the level of ceremony, luxury, and references to China’s 3,500-year-old cultural history showed how much importance Beijing placed on the private negotiations happening behind closed doors.
That message was clearest during the lavish state dinner held for the American delegation on Thursday night, May 14. Among the guests were figures such as Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has previously been sanctioned by the Chinese Communist Party. They were served a refined selection of dishes, including lobster and beef ribs.
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