SCMP China·Hong Kong·Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 06:36 AM

From body language to ping-pong, decoding the symbolism during Xi and Trump’s meeting

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We have put together stories from our coverage of the Xi-Trump summit. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.

1. From wine to ping-pong, Trump and Xi’s state dinner leans on historic symbolism

President Donald Trump and first ladies Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan listen as China’s President Xi Jinping speaks during a State Dinner in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Photo: AP

When US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in the East Room, every detail of the state dinner was steeped in symbolism, with sparkling wine served as a nod to a pivotal moment in Sino-US relations and references to “ping-pong diplomacy”.

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