Serve Chinese leader a burger? Trump eats his words

United States President Donald Trump once said he would get Chinese President Xi Jinping a McDonald's hamburger instead of hosting him to a lavish state dinner if he were the US president.

Mr Trump had said that in August 2015 on Fox News, as then President Barack Obama was preparing to host Mr Xi for a state dinner at the White House the following month.

But on Thursday, Mr Trump offered the Chinese leader more than a burger, though the meal was not a full-fledged official state dinner. Here is the menu released by the White House:

STARTER

•Caesar salad with homemade focaccia croutons, parmigiano-reggiano

ENTREE

•Pan-seared dover sole with herb-roasted new potatoes, haricots verts and Thumbelina carrots

or

•Dry aged prime New York strip steak with whipped potatoes and roasted root vegetables

DESSERT

•Chocolate cake with vanilla sauce

•Trio of sorbet (lemon, mango and raspberry)

WINES

•2014 Chalk Hill Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

•2014 Girard Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 08, 2017, with the headline Serve Chinese leader a burger? Trump eats his words. Subscribe