Por Renan Filho · 2026-09-24The White House has released the official menu for the upcoming state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for September 26, 2026. The five-course meal, crafted by Executive Chef James Hernandez, features a delicate balance of American and Chinese culinary traditions. However, one of the most iconic symbols of American agriculture — beef — is conspicuously absent from the table.
According to a statement from the Office of the First Lady, the menu includes chilled cucumber and melon soup with mint, a lobster and caviar tartlet, roasted Peking duck with plum glaze, wild mushroom and truffle risotto, and a finale of lychee sorbet with ginger tuile. The main protein course is duck, not steak or prime rib. For a president who has made “Buy American, Hire American” a central pillar of his trade policy, the omission raises eyebrows.
Why does this matter? The United States is the world’s largest beef producer, and China was once a top growth market for American ranchers before the trade war of 2018-2019 disrupted exports. Although tariffs have eased, Chinese import quotas on U.S. beef remain significantly lower than those granted to Australia and Brazil. By serving duck — a protein more commonly associated with Chinese cuisine — the White House may be signaling a diplomatic gesture of cultural sensitivity. But critics argue it also represents a missed opportunity to showcase a product that American farmers are desperate to sell.
FORTIS ANALYSIS: The menu choice is a classic case of culinary diplomacy, but it also reflects hard economic realities. According to data from the U.S. Meat Export Federation, American beef exports to China in 2025 reached only $1.2 billion — a fraction of the $4 billion Australia sent to the same market. The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed Beijing to remove non-tariff barriers on beef, including restrictions related to growth hormones and traceability requirements. By omitting beef from the state dinner, the White House avoids any potential awkwardness: serving a product that China has historically treated as a health risk. Yet, from a free-market perspective, this is precisely the kind of signal that reinforces Chinese protectionism. If American beef is safe enough for the President of the United States to eat, why isn’t it safe enough for the Chinese market? The administration could have used the dinner to make a bold statement about the safety and quality of U.S. agricultural products.
COUNTERPOINT: Some trade analysts argue that the menu choice is simply good etiquette. “You don’t serve a guest a dish that their domestic regulators have publicly questioned,” said William Reinsch, a former Commerce Department official, in an interview with the Washington Post. “The dinner is about building rapport, not picking a fight over tariffs.” This perspective has merit. The state dinner is a diplomatic ritual, not a negotiating table. However, it is worth noting that President Xi has frequently dined on American beef during previous visits to the U.S., including at a 2015 dinner hosted by then-President Barack Obama, where dry-aged Kansas City strip steak was served. The change in menu, therefore, may reflect not just cultural sensitivity but a calculated decision to avoid drawing attention to the still-unresolved beef dispute.