The delicate choreography of the Trump-Xi state dinner
Who sat where on Xi’s table
Stage
MAIN TABLE
According to Chinese banquet etiquette, the guest of honor usually sits<br>at the first seat on the host’s right-hand side.
Donald Trump
Xi Jinping
President
President
David Perdue
U.S. ambassador<br>to China
Li Qiang
Premier
Elaborate table<br>decoration in<br>the center
Xie is the only one among the Chinese representatives who is not a<br>member of the Politburo, a top decision-making body of China’s<br>ruling Communist Party.
Wang Yi (2) and He Lifeng (6), seated at the main table in 2026, were at<br>a nearby secondary table in 2017.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
Wang Yi, Foreign Minister
Eric Trump, Son of Donald Trump
Lara Trump, Wife of Eric Trump
Cai Qi, Xi’s de facto chief of<br>staff
He Lifeng, Vice Premier
Scott Bessent, Treasury Secretary
Xie Feng, China's ambassador to the<br>U.S.
U.S. delegation（6）
Chinese delegation（6）
Stage
MAIN TABLE
According to China's Foreign Ministry, seat rank is based on proximity<br>to the host, with the right side taking precedence.
According to Chinese banquet etiquette, the guest of honor usually sits<br>at the first seat on the host’s right-hand side.
Xi Jinping
Donald Trump
President
President
David Perdue
U.S. ambassador<br>to China
Li Qiang
Premier
Cai Qi
Marco Rubio
Xi’s de facto chief of staff
Secretary of State
He Lifeng
Wang Yi
Vice Premier
Foreign Minister
Elaborate table<br>decoration in<br>the center
Scott Bessent
Treasury Secretary
Eric Trump
Son of<br>D. Trump
Xie Feng
Lara Trump
China’s U.S. ambassador
Wife of Eric Trump
Wang Yi and He Lifeng, seated at the main table in 2026, were at a<br>nearby secondary table in 2017.
Xie is the only one among the Chinese representatives who is not a<br>member of the Politburo, a top decision-making body of China’s<br>ruling Communist Party.
Xi’s right side
Xi’s left side
U.S. delegation（6）
Chinese delegation（6）
Stage
According to China's Foreign Ministry, seat rank is based on proximity<br>to the host, with the right side taking precedence.
MAIN TABLE
According to Chinese banquet etiquette, the guest of honor usually sits<br>at the first seat on the host’s right-hand side.
Xi Jinping
Donald Trump
President
President
David Perdue
U.S. ambassador<br>to China
Li Qiang
Premier
Cai Qi
Marco Rubio
Xi’s de facto chief of staff
Secretary of State
Wang Yi
He Lifeng
Foreign Minister
Vice Premier
Elaborate table<br>decoration in<br>the center
Scott Bessent
Eric Trump
Treasury Secretary
Son of Donald Trump
Xie Feng
Lara Trump
China’s U.S. ambassador
Wife of Eric Trump
Xie is the only one among the Chinese representatives who is not a<br>member of the Politburo, a top decision-making body of China’s<br>ruling Communist Party.
Wang Yi and He Lifeng, seated at the main table in 2026, were at a<br>nearby secondary table in 2017.
Xi’s right side
Xi’s left side
U.S. delegation（6）
Chinese delegation（6）
Stage
MAIN TABLE
According to China's Foreign Ministry, seat rank is based on proximity<br>to the host, with the right side taking precedence.
According to Chinese banquet etiquette, the guest of honor usually sits<br>at the first seat on the host’s right-hand side.
Xi Jinping
Donald Trump
President
President
David Perdue
Li Qiang
U.S. ambassador<br>to China
Premier
Cai Qi
Marco Rubio
Xi’s de facto chief of staff
Secretary of State
He Lifeng
Wang Yi
Vice Premier
Foreign Minister
Elaborate table<br>decoration in<br>the center
Scott Bessent
Eric Trump
Treasury Secretary
Son of Donald Trump
Lara Trump
Xie Feng
Wife of Eric Trump
China’s U.S. ambassador
Xie is the only one among the Chinese representatives who is not a<br>member of the Politburo, a top decision-making body of China’s<br>ruling Communist Party.
Wang Yi and He Lifeng, seated at the main table in 2026, were at a<br>nearby secondary table in 2017.
Xi’s right side
Xi’s left side
U.S. delegation（6）
Chinese delegation（6）
Stage
MAIN TABLE
According to China's Foreign Ministry, seat rank is based on proximity<br>to the host, with the right side taking precedence.
According to Chinese banquet etiquette, the guest of honor usually sits<br>at the first seat on the host’s right-hand side.
Xi Jinping
Donald Trump
President
President
David Perdue
Li Qiang
U.S. ambassador<br>to China
Premier
Cai Qi
Marco Rubio
Xi’s de facto chief of staff
Secretary of State
Seated at the main table in 2026, was at a nearby secondary table in<br>2017
Moved to the main table after being at a secondary table in 2017
Wang Yi
He Lifeng
Foreign Minister
Vice Premier
Elaborate table<br>decoration in<br>the center
Xi’s right side
Xi’s left side
Scott Bessent
Eric Trump
Treasury Secretary
Son of Donald Trump
Lara Trump
Xie Feng
Wife of Eric Trump
China’s U.S. ambassador
Xie is the only one among the Chinese representatives who is not a<br>member of the Politburo, a top decision-making body of China’s<br>ruling Communist Party.
U.S. delegation（6）
Chinese...