What Xi served Putin, Trump and Albanese at China’s state banquet reveals more than any diplomatic statement

Peking duck appeared on two of three menus. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump received it. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Albanese did not. Over the past 12 months alone, Beijing has hosted over a dozen foreign leaders for lavish state banquets at the Great Hall of the People, including Trump, Putin, and Albanese. Menus from the Banquet Hall obtained exclusively by the ABC reveal how ducks in Beijing have remained China’s most enduring diplomatic tool. This is a complete statement as food is the language of affection and closeness in Chinese culture, and it has always…