The guy who runs the world’s third-largest economy, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, is in Washington today for talks with the President and a speech to Congress.

There’s a state dinner Tuesday night at which the White House will unveil the new state china service — that’s china, small-c, as in fancy dishes.

The description of the china from the White House’s protocol office:

“A fluted band of the Kailua Blue color, framed by a textured gold rim and a simple gilt inner line, appears on all pieces of the service except the service and dinner plates.

A similar fluted band of color — in a matte gold finish — was selected for the wide rim of the large service plate. This plate is related to the gold-rimmed service plates acquired in 1955 by the Eisenhowers, to supplement the 1951 Truman state service, and the service plates in the 2000 White House Bicentennial service, now referred to as the Clinton State Service.“

The White House Historical Association picked up the tab, total price not disclosed, but the Bush Administration’s state china cost $493,000.