Trump-Xi state dinner: Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Musk and 100+ guests — full list here

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were joined by more than 100 US government officials, business leaders, technology executives and their spouses at a White House state dinner on Thursday, September 24.

The guest list brought together senior figures from Washington and some of the world's biggest technology and corporate groups, including Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, Tesla, SpaceX, JPMorgan, BlackRock and Blackstone, CNBC reported.

The Chinese delegation accompanying Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, consisted primarily of government officials. The White House said the dinner was attended by official delegations, business leaders and government officials.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The Trump-Xi state dinner was attended by over 100 guests, including prominent figures like Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and CEOs from major companies such as Apple, Nvidia, Tesla, and JPMorgan.

The menu featured a three-course meal including yellow squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass, and a dessert of vanilla crémeux with White House honey ice cream, all highlighting American ingredients with a Chinese influence.

The dinner aimed to symbolize improved US-China relations amidst ongoing tensions, serving as a platform for dialogue on critical issues like trade and artificial intelligence between the two nations.

The dinner began with a toast of Schramsberg Blanc De Noir, referencing the historic 'Toast to Peace' shared by President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai during Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.

The Chinese delegation included officials such as Cai Qi, Wang Yi, and Vice Premier He Lifeng, alongside other members from China's government and diplomatic circles.

Xi said in a toast that talks with Trump had “added new substance” to US-China relations, according to an official translation. Trump also gave Xi a statue of a bald eagle, CNBC reported.

Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, Elon Musk among tech leaders

The US presidential couple and their Chinese counterparts were seated with several prominent technology executives, including Apple Chairman Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and his wife Lori Huang, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman, Alphabet co-founder Sergey Brin, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Amazon Chairman Jeff Bezos were also listed among the guests.

Other technology and business leaders on the list included Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, Dell CEO Michael Dell, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Visa CEO Ryan McInerney.

The list also included Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, Goldman Sachs executives John F.W. Rogers and David Solomon, Citi CEO Jane Fraser and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon.

Who represented the US administration?

Several senior members of the Trump administration were also listed among the attendees, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The guest list also included US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Attorney General Todd Blanche, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, OMB Director Russell Vought and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Steven Daines and Representative Jason Smith were also listed.

Chinese delegation at Trump-Xi dinner

The Chinese delegation included Cai Qi, CPC Political Bureau Standing Committee Member and chief of staff to Xi; Wang Yi, CPC Political Bureau Central Committee Member; He Lifeng, CPC Political Bureau Central Committee Member and Vice Premier of the State Council; and Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Finance Minister Lan Fo’an and Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng were also on the list.

Chinese officials from the foreign ministry and other government offices also attended the dinner.

Earlier, CNBC reported, citing a person briefed about the preparations who was not authorised to speak on the record, that they were not aware of any Chinese companies invited to join Xi on his trip.

Trump family members also attended

Members of Trump's extended family were included on the guest list, including Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump, Michael Boulos, Viktor Knavs, Arabella Kushner and others.

The list also included media figures such as Fox News hosts Bret Baier, Laura Ingraham and Jesse Watters.

What was on the Trump-Xi state dinner menu?

The three-course menu, released by the White House, was designed around American ingredients with a subtle Chinese influence. The meal began with a toast of Schramsberg “Blanc De Noir”, a California sparkling wine associated with President Richard M. Nixon's 1972 visit to Beijing.

First course

• Yellow squash velouté
• Wild mushroom fricassée
• Crispy pancetta
• Scallion oil

Second course

• Sesame-crusted sea bass
• Braised baby bok choy
• Roasted garden eggplant
• Sauce verte

Dessert

• Vanilla crémeux
• White House honey ice cream
• Walnut frangipane
• Sour cherry confit

The White House said the menu was intended to bring the culinary traditions of the US and China together, the New York Times reported.

Red-themed décor and entertainment

The East Room was decorated with red linens and red flowers, reflecting the colour's cultural significance in China, according to the White House.

The evening's entertainment was headlined by classical tenor Christopher Macchio, who performed at the 2025 presidential inauguration. Musicians from the US Marine Corps and US Army were also scheduled to perform, including “The President’s Own” US Marine Band, the US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the US Army Chorus and the US Army Strings.

Xi arrived in the US on Wednesday and was scheduled to leave Friday. The visit marks his first state visit to the US since the Barack Obama presidency, according to the material provided.