Silicon Valley tech executives and Chinese political figures gathered at the White House on Thursday evening for a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump. The guest list of more than 130 attendees featured prominent artificial intelligence leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Inside the White House State Dinner Guest List
The state dinner brought together top leadership from American industry and the Chinese Politburo. According to White House guest lists released for the event, prominent tech sector invitees included Apple executive chair Tim Cook, Amazon chair Jeff Bezos, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Financial and industrial leaders also attended, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.
The Chinese delegation included Cai Qi, chief of staff to Xi; Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs; Vice Premier He Lifeng; and Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng. Administration officials present included Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Trump Steers Conversation to White House Construction Over AI
Addressing the room of tech moguls and politicians, President Trump departed from prepared remarks to discuss ongoing renovations at the executive mansion. According to observations from the dinner, Trump made no mention of artificial intelligence during his speech, instead inviting guests to tour a new White House ballroom that remains one year away from completion.
“Anybody who wants to walk into a construction site that’s nice and clean and sparkling, it’s our honour to have you do so,” Trump told the room, according to event transcripts. The remarks contrasted with warnings from Silicon Valley figures regarding the rapid advancement and potential risks of artificial intelligence technology.
Diplomatic Exchanges and Media Boycotts
Earlier in the day, Trump and Xi toured a newly paved driveway and helipad on the White House grounds, where Trump highlighted Xi’s appreciation for quality granite. Xi announced a gift of two giant pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, destined for the Atlanta zoo, while Trump presented the Chinese leader with a large bald eagle statue intended for Beijing.
The diplomatic event unfolded amid a local media dispute. Trump recently banned reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House campus. Although a federal judge ordered the administration to reinstate the banned journalists on Thursday, the TV networks declined to broadcast the event live. Trump subsequently posted online complaints criticizing the networks for refusing to cover the arrival of the Chinese president.
Did you know? This room has about 145, that’s about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who hosted the state dinner at the White House?
US President Donald Trump and Melania Trump hosted the state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan.
Which tech executives attended the White House dinner?
Attendees included OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple chairman Tim Cook, Amazon chair Jeff Bezos, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
What gifts were exchanged during the visit?
China announced a gift of two giant pandas named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang for the Atlanta zoo, while President Trump presented President Xi with a large bald eagle statue.
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