President Donald Trump may be expected to strike a firm political tone with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the state visit, but he is also making a highly personal effort to build goodwill with his guest.
Arabella Kushner, the 15-year-old daughter of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, occupied a prominent position at the White House on Thursday as Xi arrived for closely watched formal talks.
Her prominent place beside the presidential family appeared to be a deliberate choice. Arabella is fluent in Mandarin, a skill that has previously helped create a warm connection between Trump and the Chinese leader.
During Trump’s 2017 trip to Beijing, he showed Xi a video of Arabella as a young child, dressed in a traditional Chinese-style silk outfit while singing and reciting classical Chinese poetry in Mandarin.
The performance quickly captured attention across China, prompting Xi to praise the young girl’s effort and declare that she had earned an “A-plus.”
It was not immediately known whether Arabella spoke personally with Xi or China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan, during Thursday’s White House ceremony.
Dressed in an elegant cream-colored gown that reached the floor, Arabella stood with her mother, Ivanka Trump, Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, as the Chinese delegation arrived amid an elaborate display of pageantry.
She later sat in the front row among senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, while Trump and Xi delivered remarks in turn.
Arabella Kushner, the daughter of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, drew attention during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the White House on Thursday. She is pictured with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Wearing a cream-colored floor-length dress, Arabella stood beside her mother, Ivanka Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Usha Vance as the Chinese delegation arrived at the White House
Trump’s granddaughter was introduced to Mandarin at just 18 months old.
Arabella and her younger brothers, Joseph and Theodore, learned the language with help from the family’s Chinese nanny as well as through their schooling.
Her Mandarin abilities have also featured prominently in her grandfather’s public diplomacy and political image.
During Trump’s first administration, Ivanka served as a senior White House adviser and began posting videos of Arabella singing in Mandarin when the child was only five.
The clips spread rapidly online, with Chinese social media users warmly giving the little girl the nickname “friendship messenger.”
In early 2017, Arabella performed in Mandarin for Xi during his visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Later that year, Trump arrived in Beijing for a state dinner carrying a tablet loaded with another video. In it, Arabella affectionately greeted Xi and Peng Liyuan by calling them “Grandpa Xi” and “Grandma Peng.”
“Hello, Grandpa Xi. Hello, Grandma Peng,” she said in the recording while standing before an American flag.
During Trump’s 2017 state dinner in Beijing, he proudly showed Xi and Peng Liyuan a video of Arabella calling them “Grandpa Xi” and “Grandma Peng”
The video featuring Arabella was later displayed on enormous television screens during the 2017 state dinner
Arabella went on to say in Mandarin: ‘Hello everyone, let me sing a song.’
She then launched into a traditional Chinese folk song about the country’s beautiful landscapes and lush natural sites.
At the time, Chinese media outlets reported that Xi said Arabella deserved an ‘A+’ for her performance.
The clip was later broadcast on massive TV screens during the state dinner.
It isn’t known if Arabella will make any further appearances during Xi’s current state visit.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump had hailed the ‘truly great friendship’ he has already forged with Xi.
Arabella took a front row seat alongside political heavyweights including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as her grandfather and Xi took turns delivering remarks
Arabella was a noticeable presence alongside her mom and top administration officials as the state visit got underway at the White House on Thursday
He called on China to work more closely with the US in order to avoid friction as the two biggest economies compete.
‘From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,’ Trump said.
Xi, for his part, was more direct in his public remarks, saying Chinese and American interests are ‘deeply intertwined’ and that the ‘competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds.’
‘It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,’ Xi said.
