First Lady Melania Trump on Monday shared details for the upcoming State Dinner with China President Xi JinPing and his wife Peng Liyuan who are scheduled to arrive at the White House on Thursday. The dinner comes more than a decade after the couple’s last visit to the White House.
The State Visit begins with President Trump greeting Xi upon the couple’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews.
Then on Thursday morning, the President and Mrs. Trump will host a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden of the White House, featuring 479 military personnel, representing all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
As the arrival begins, the South Drive will be lined with the Armed Forces Full Honor Cordon leading to a national flag display of U.S. and China flags where the United States Army Herald Trumpets will present a fanfare on the South Portico as the president and first lady welcome Xi and his wife to the White House.
On the State Floor, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band will play the national anthems of the People’s Republic of China and the United States, followed by remarks from both the president and Xi.
The ceremony will also feature a Presidential Salute from the United States Marine Silent Drill Platoon and United States Joint Forces Command on the South Lawn. There will then be a Military Review in the Rose Garden where The United States Army Herald Trumpets will line the roof of the West and Oval Colonnades, according to the White House. Military demonstrations will be performed by the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. The ceremony will conclude with a military flyover featuring a B-2 Spirit and four F-22 Raptors.
After the arrival ceremony, Mrs. Trump and Peng Liyuan will separately visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art to explore works spanning centuries of artistic achievement and Sino-American cultural exchange, according to the White House.
On Thursday evening, the president and first lady will greet Xi and his wife upon their arrival to the North Portico of the White House for a State Dinner in the East Room where both leaders will give remarks. The event is expected to have a number of technology executives in attendance including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Sundar Pichai of Google, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jane Fraser of Citigroup and Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, according to The Associated Press.
On Friday morning, the president and first lady will greet Xi and his wife upon their arrival to the South Portico of the White House for tea in the Red Room of the White House. Afterward, the couples will travel to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where before bidding farewell they will view a variety of important records and documents significant to the American and Chinese relationship throughout history.
Calendar
Sept. 23, 2026
FLARE Virtual Program: A Tour of the Julia Grant 200th Birthday Exhibit
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education (FLARE) presents a special virtual program at 7 p.m. ET on September 23, 2026, with Nick Sacco, historian and curator at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in St. Louis, Missouri, exploring the special exhibit “Julia Dent Grant: A 200-Year Legacy.” Sarah Fling, Public Historian at the White House Historical Association, will moderate the program.
Through more than 30 artifacts, the exhibition examines Julia not only as the wife of President Ulysses S. Grant, but as a family-oriented woman and public figure in her own right. Among the objects on display are the oldest known photograph of Julia, dating to the early 1850s; correspondence spanning her life; a first edition of her Personal Memoirs; objects associated with Julia and Ulysses S. Grant’s 1848 wedding; and personal items from her years as First Lady and the Grants’ World Tour of 1877–1879.
Using these surviving objects as historical evidence, the program explores what material culture can reveal about Julia Dent Grant, her public and private worlds, and her place in the history of the American first lady. View here
Sept. 23, 2026
Book Talk with Author Barbara Perry
The White House Historical Association presents a book talk with presidential historian Barbara Perry on her forthcoming book, Reconcilable Differences: The Unlikely Political Alliance of Eleanor Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. The event will be followed by a reception. Space is limited. Read more
Sept. 26, 2026
Voices of Val-Kill: A Centennial Celebration
The National Park Service of Hyde Park, New York, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill present Voices of Val-Kill, a special panel discussion celebrating the 100th anniversary of Val-Kill in Hyde Park, New York. The in-person program takes place at 2 p.m. local time on September 26, 2026, and will tell the remarkable story of the people who came together to save Val-Kill from development—and whose tireless determination ultimately helped create the first and only National Historic Site dedicated to a first lady, a leader at the United Nations and a world diplomat. Before the panel, a historical video retrospective will tell the story of Val-Kill’s preservation and introduces some of the people and events involved. Read more
Sept. 26, 2026
First Ladies for Kids: Lucretia Garfield
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents at 11 a.m. local time on September 26, 2026, the fascinating life of Lucretia Garfield and the stories behind one of America’s first ladies in a fun and engaging free program designed for students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Young learners will discover the story of First Lady Lucretia Garfield through a brief interactive lesson, hands-on activities, and a take-home mini-workbook based on our popular First Ladies for Kids series. Read more
Sept. 29, 2026
White House History Live: Presidentess—The Life and Legacy of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler
The White House Historical Association’s White House History Live presents the virtual event “Presidentess—The Life and Legacy of First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler” at 5:30 p.m. ET on September 29, 2026.
Julia Gardiner Tyler was not a curiosity or a contradiction — she was a force. As the first “bride of the White House” and one of the youngest first ladies in American history, she consciously shaped her public role, skillfully used newspapers, portraits, and fashion, and expanded what a first lady could be before the role had rules. Authors Christopher J. Leahy and Sharon Williams Leahy reveal how Julia navigated the undefined early presidency, managed visibility with intention, and transformed personal and political challenges into influence. This virtual event will be live streamed on the White House Historical Association’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Read more
Sept. 30, 2026
What You May Not Know About Grace Coolidge and Often Overlooked First Ladies: A Conversation with Diana B. Carlin
Join the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library & Museum in person or livestream and recorded on You Tube on September 30 at 6:30 p.m. for a conversation with first ladies scholar and author Diana B. Carlin, “What You May Not Know About Grace Coolidge and Often Overlooked First Ladies,” as she shares insights into the lives and legacies of Grace Coolidge and other first ladies. The program, free and open to the public, is part of a continuing series marking the centennial of the Coolidge presidency. It comes as the presidential library and museum marks its 70th anniversary, dedicated in September 1956 by Mrs. Coolidge and her son John Coolidge. View here
Sept. 30, 2026
Second Private Tour of the Val-Kill Furniture Exhibit at the Met
The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill presents an exclusive private tour on September 30, 2026, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit on Val-Kill Industries furniture for some of its supporters. This tour will be led by the exhibit curator, Alyce Perry Englund, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s great-granddaughter, Sara Boettiger. There will also be lunch included after the tour at the American Wing Cafe inside the museum. Read more
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