White House Played 'Les Miserables' Song Censored by China at Trump-Xi Dinner
The military chorus performed "Do You Hear the People Sing?" which was restricted by Chinese streaming services after Hong Kong activists adopted it.
A military chorus performed selections from "Les Misérables" during a White House state dinner for President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, including a song that has been censored in China for its association with pro-democracy movements.
The performance on Thursday night featured the song "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the musical, which has been adopted by activists in Hong Kong as an anthem during anti-Beijing protests. Chinese streaming services, such as QQ Music, reportedly removed the song, citing copyright reasons, while other songs from the musical remained available.
The White House dinner, attended by 134 guests including numerous business and technology leaders, featured a military band playing the song in the East Room. While the press pool was not present for the musical portion, clips of the performance were shared on social media by attendees.
President Trump has previously used "Do You Hear the People Sing?" at official events, including as his walk-out music when he launched his 2024 presidential campaign. He is known to be a fan of "Les Misérables."
Xi Jinping thanked President Trump for the hospitality, describing the visit as having been "done to the highest order of perfection." The state dinner occurred amidst a period of carefully managed public appearances, with limited opportunities for journalists to ask questions.