State dinner guest list features Jackie Chan, political elites

State dinner guest list features Jackie Chan, political elites

Jackie Chan and Barbra Streisand joined political elites in Washington as the U.S. feted Chinese President Hu Jintao to a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday.

The menu for the evening was distinctly American with servings such as poached Maine lobster, apple pie for dessert, and California wines.

Host President Barack Obama in black tie, together with First Lady Michelle Obama, welcomed Hu, who was wearing a business suit. The First Lady wore a red and black off-the-shoulder dress.

Former U.S. presidents and fellow Obama Democrats Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were among the 225 guests at the North Portico of the White House. Former secretary of state and national security adviser Henry Kissinger, who was instrumental in strengthening ties with China, was also among those present.

Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour, cellist Yo Yo Ma, and Wendi Deng, the wife of billionaire Rupert Murdoch, also attended the event. Murdoch was said to be traveling and was not able to attend. Herbie Hancock and Chinese pianist Lang Lang entertained the guests.

Notably absent were Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican House Speaker John Boehner, who have criticized China's human rights record. But another strong critic, former speaker Nancy Pelosi who is now the Democratic House Minority Leader, chose to attend the dinner.

In a press conference earlier Hu said that his country has made great strides on the issue of human rights. "China still faces many challenges in economic and social development, and a lot still needs to be done in China in terms of human rights."

Posted by Kade Quinn on Wednesday January 19 2011, 11:08 PM EDT. Ref: Inquirer. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0