With music provided by the Nashville Bluegrass Band, US President George W. Bush laid on a fish-and-dumpling spread for his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at a White House luncheon on Thursday.

The menu included:

Butter heirloom corn broth (with scallions)

Seared ginger-scented dumplings

Wild-caught Alaskan Halibut (with mushroom essence)

"A Good Fortune" melon

Warm almond cakes

Newton Chardonnay "unfiltered" 2002

Star guests at luncheon

The White House carefully selected guests at Thursday's luncheon in honour of President Hu and his wife Liu Yongqing.

On the guest list were Lang Lang, a Chinese pianist, and Michelle Kwan, the Chinese-American figure skating champion.

Bush's praise for Yao

When meeting the press in the Oval Office together with President Hu, Bush said there was great interest in the United States about Chinese art.

Turning to sports exchanges between the two countries, Bush heaped praise on current NBA superstar Yao Ming, a Chinese player with the Houston Rockets.

"Yao Ming, I mean, he's a perpetual exchange. He's a great player, and he's here all the times. The Olympics will bring a great opportunity for us to have interchange," the US president told reporters.

Frank discussion

President Hu's second day in Washington began with a lavish welcome ceremony on the White House South Lawn, complete with a guard of honour and a 21-gun salute.

The two leaders said they enjoyed frank discussions that were both philosophical and specific.

"He tells me what he thinks, and I tell him what I think, and we do so with respect," Bush said after meeting with Hu.

Source: China Daily