Melania Trump releases state dinner details for Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan visit

The White House on Thursday said President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan for a state dinner in the East Room, underscoring a high-profile diplomatic visit at a moment of continuing tension between the two countries. The announcement came as the Chinese leader arrived in Washington for an official state visit that is expected to combine ceremony with bilateral talks.

The visit centers on Xi and Peng’s meetings with the president and first lady, with the White House describing a schedule that includes an arrival ceremony, a state dinner and additional official engagements. The visit also draws attention because Peng, who is the wife of Xi and a well-known singer in China, is participating in the official program alongside the Chinese president.

White House materials released earlier this week said Trump and the first lady would welcome Xi and Peng to the White House on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, for an official state visit. Separate White House posts and coverage of the schedule indicated that the visit would span several days and include a range of ceremonial events before the dinner.

Ceremony, diplomacy and carefully staged pageantry

The White House said the dinner would take place in the East Room, one of the residence’s most prominent formal spaces. The evening is part of the traditional state-visit format that combines public pageantry, private diplomacy and a formal meal intended to signal respect between the two governments.

The timing of the visit gives the dinner added significance. Xi’s trip is his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade, according to White House announcements and reporting on the schedule. That gap has made the visit a notable moment in U.S.-China relations, even as the two countries continue to manage disputes over trade, technology and security.

The White House had not, by the time of the announcement, disclosed the full guest list, menu or other dinner specifics beyond the venue and hosts. Additional details were expected to be released through official White House channels as the visit unfolded.