From body language to ping-pong, decoding the symbolism during Xi and Trump’s meeting

South China Morning Post - Sep 27, 2026

We have put together stories from our coverage of the Xi-Trump summit. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. From wine to ping-pong, Trump and Xi’s state dinner leans on historic symbolism When US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in the East Room, every detail of the state dinner was steeped in symbolism, with sparkling wine served as a nod to a pivotal moment in Sino-US relations and references to “ping-pong diplomacy”. 2. How...

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