Xi's Gala menu for Kim, Putin and other foreign leaders - What's on the menu?

Xi’s gala menu for Kim, Putin and other foreign leaders

After the victory parade in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted a grand luncheon for world dignitaries. Among the prominent guests were North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

For the grand lunch hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the setting at the Great Hall of the People was meticulously prepared.

The banquet hall featured round tables with white tablecloths, each decorated with flowers, wine glasses, and name cards. A unique touch included panda-shaped chopstick rests at every place setting.

The menu, as reported by the Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po, featured a unique combination of Chinese and international cuisine.

What was served? 

• Chicken soup with conch meat and lily bulbs
• Clear scallop consommé with assorted mushrooms
• Roasted lamb chops
• Stir-fried lobster with crab meat, roe, and egg white
• Roasted salt-marinated salmon with creamy mustard sauce
• Fried rice, Pea cake
• Mango mousse cake
• Two selections of red and white wine (both from Hebei, China)

“Eighty years ago, after 14 years of bloody struggle, the Chinese people completely defeated the Japanese militarist aggressors and declared the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War,” he said.

“This was a historic turning point for the Chinese nation, marking the shift from a period of deep national crisis toward great national rejuvenation. It was also a major turning point in the development of the world,” he added.

The guest list 

More than two dozen foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-un, attended the event. The guest list also included heads of state from Iran, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe, as well as several Central Asian nations.

Leaders from South Asia were also present, with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal's Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu among the attendees. Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-un's sister, also attended, her presence highlighting her growing political influence in North Korea.

In a grand display of its military strength, China held a parade at Tiananmen Square on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The event showcased the country's latest military technology, including hypersonic missiles, laser weapons, and underwater drones.

Flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Xi Jinping declared from the podium, “China is unstoppable.” The military parade was a key part of the day's events, which also included a celebratory banquet for attending world leaders.