Ivanka Trump takes front-row seat to welcome Xi in dress by Chinese designer Guo Pei

The eldest daughter of the former US president, Ivanka Trump, was seated in the front row during a White House welcome ceremony for President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Thursday. Ivanka, dressed in a robin's egg blue dress and matching jacket, created by Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei, occupied a prominent position alongside Vice-President J.D.

Vance and his wife, Usha Vance. This seating arrangement marked a departure from the typical pattern where members of Donald Trump's cabinet, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, were seated further back. The choice of a Beijing-based designer and the seating arrangement reflected the personal and commercial ties between the Trump family and China.

During Donald Trump's presidency, Ivanka served as an unpaid adviser and acted as a significant link between Chinese officials and Washington. In April 2017, Ivanka's daughter Arabella performed the traditional Chinese ballad "Mo Li Hua" and recited Tang dynasty poetry in Chinese during Xi and Peng's US visit. In Beijing later that year, President Trump showed Xi private video recordings featuring his granddaughter addressing him and his wife as "Grandpa Xi" and "Grandma Peng".

Ivanka had secured multiple trademark approvals in China during her father's presidency in 2018, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest. These trademarks covered fashion and lifestyle goods, as well as services like voting machines and nursing homes. After shutting down her business in mid-2018, Ivanka stated she would focus on her government work.

In 2022, she announced she was stepping away from politics and leaving the political arena. The decision to wear a dress designed by Guo Pei for Thursday's ceremony carried symbolic significance. Guo, known for her extravagant creations, notably designed a trailing yellow embroidered cape with fur trim for pop star Rihanna at the 2015 Met Gala – a piece that took two years and over 50,000 hours to complete.

Ivanka's choice of Guo echoed Peng's own efforts to promote Chinese designers and traditional culture through her fashion choices.