U.S. President Donald Trump drinks after a toast during a state dinner with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Thursday in Beijing. AP-Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to sip wine during a state banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, drawing attention because of Trump’s decades-long public abstinence from alcohol and stirring questions online over whether he had broken a long-standing personal rule.
Videos and photographs from Thursday’s banquet at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People showed Trump raising a wine glass during a toast with Xi and appearing to take a sip as the two leaders exchanged remarks emphasizing closer U.S.-China ties.
The moment quickly spread across social media, with some users calling it a symbolic gesture of respect toward Xi and others questioning whether the drink may have been nonalcoholic.
Trump, 79, has long described himself as a teetotaler, frequently linking his refusal to drink to the death of his older brother who struggled with alcoholism. His abstinence and fondness for Diet Coke have long been closely associated with his public image.
While several outlets described Trump as sipping wine during the toast, neither the White House nor Chinese officials publicly clarified whether the beverage contained alcohol.
The banquet capped the opening day of a high-stakes summit dominated by discussions over trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. Xi used the meeting to call for a more stable relationship between the world’s two largest economies, while Trump repeatedly referred to Xi as “my friend” and invited the Chinese leader and his wife to visit the White House in September.
The state dinner itself was carefully choreographed as a diplomatic showpiece, featuring roast duck, beef ribs and elaborate desserts tailored partly to Trump’s known preferences, according to media reports.
The apparent sip became a viral side story to the summit, with commentators viewing it as a striking visual moment during an unusually warm and ceremonial meeting between the two leaders.
Source: Korea Times News
