President Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state dinner at the White House on Thursday, following a personal greeting at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. The event was notable for its guest list, which included several high-profile figures from the artificial intelligence and technology sectors, such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang.

The event has prompted renewed focus on Trump's previous remarks regarding the diplomatic tradition of state dinners. In 2016, then-candidate Trump publicly criticized former President Barack Obama for hosting Chinese leaders for state dinners, suggesting at the time that such events were unnecessary or inappropriate. The current administration's decision to proceed with the dinner has led to comparisons between Trump's past rhetoric and his current diplomatic actions.

While the event highlighted the intersection of high-level diplomacy and the tech industry, some observers noted specific absences from the guest list. Reports indicate that Dario Amodei, the CEO of the AI company Anthropic, was not among the attendees, despite the presence of other major industry leaders. The dinner serves as a significant moment in U.S.-China relations, marking a shift in how the current administration approaches formal state hospitality compared to the previous administration.