{"id":"79a1d85a-0fb9-424f-988a-6f64a6527290","url":"https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3368835/why-did-xi-and-chinas-first-lady-bring-their-own-flasks-white-house-banquet","domain":"scmp.com","outlet":{"name":"South China Morning Post","country":"HK","cred":4,"lean":0,"curated":true,"owner":"Alibaba Group"},"title":"Why did Xi and China’s first lady bring their own flasks to White House banquet?","plainHeadline":"Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan brought their own vacuum flasks to the White House state dinner.","rewrite":{"model":null,"at":null},"summary":["Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan used personal vacuum flasks at the White House banquet.","Xi’s flask was black and Peng’s was white, signaling cultural authenticity amid diplomacy.","The presence of personal flasks highlighted a blend of everyday practice with formal diplomacy.","Chinese culture associates warm beverages with digestion, sometimes containing herbs like goji berries.","China’s public spaces, such as transport hubs, commonly provide boiling-water taps for refilling flasks."],"topics":["Politics","Internet Culture","Education"],"lang":"eng","publishedAt":"2026-09-25T10:49:27.000Z","ingestedAt":"2026-09-25T11:18:51.713Z","story":"https://brief.concise.news/story/ed67a676-3bd2-4086-98c7-ad308c8442d9","storyId":"ed67a676-3bd2-4086-98c7-ad308c8442d9","image":"https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1280x720/public/d8/images/canvas/2026/09/25/e19e81c4-8b13-4116-89c0-4d89785ef733_ed7e163b.jpg?itok=kzWg1bK1&v=1790333366","author":"William Zheng","dek":"Amid the polished silverware and fine crystal stemware on display at the state dinner in the White House on Thursday sat the vacuum flasks brought by Chinese President Xi Jinping and first lady Peng Liyuan."}