Before Melania Trump, the Chinese Women Who Wore Pants to the State Dinner

By Annette Dunlap

Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan (left) walks with First Lady Melania Trump as they arrive for a State Dinner in the East Room of the White House on September 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Trump is hosting Xi for a three-day state visit where the leaders were expected to discuss trade practices, artificial intelligence and the furthering of “strategic stability” between the two countries. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)