Arabella Kushner may be only 15, but she managed to become one of the most talked-about younger faces during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s official visit to the United States. The eldest daughter of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan — and she did it in their own language.
Arabella has been studying Mandarin since she was three years old, so the moment wasn’t simply a memorized greeting without years of preparation behind it. Facing the Chinese president and first lady, she delivered three words in Mandarin: “Welcome to America.”
For Xi and Peng, seeing Donald Trump’s granddaughter again also brought back memories. They remarked on how much Arabella had grown since their previous encounter during Trump’s first presidential term.
Back then, Donald Trump showed Xi a video of a much younger Arabella during a trip to Beijing. Wearing traditional Chinese clothing, the little girl could be seen singing in Mandarin. Xi was impressed enough to give her performance an “A+” and describe her as a “little star.”
Years later, Arabella returned to the spotlight in a very different way. No longer the small child appearing in a viral recording, the 15-year-old took her place among guests at formal events surrounding the Chinese leader’s visit.
For the state dinner, Arabella chose a floor-length black ball gown. She was seated between her mother and US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, placing the teenager among some of the evening’s most prominent guests. Ivanka stood out as well in a pale-blue Georges Hobeika corset gown decorated with sparkling crystals.
Earlier, mother and daughter had attended the formal welcoming ceremony together, where Arabella was seated in the front row beside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Her connection with Chinese language and culture goes back to early childhood. Arabella’s Mandarin performances once became an online sensation in China. In one childhood video, she greeted viewers in Chinese with the words, “Hello! Let me sing a song,” before performing a traditional Chinese folk song celebrating the country’s scenery.
