President Donald Trump is expected to be joined by a large group of senior U.S. business leaders on a visit to China this week, as Washington and Beijing prepare for high-level talks aimed at easing economic tensions and addressing wider geopolitical concerns.
A White House official said the president has invited executives from some of the country’s most influential companies to accompany him for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The discussions are expected to take place against a backdrop of strained relations, shaped by ongoing disputes over trade, technology restrictions, and security issues.
Among those expected to travel are Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, Apple chief executive Tim Cook, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink, and Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg. The delegation spans a wide range of industries, including technology, finance, aerospace, and manufacturing, underscoring the commercial significance of the visit.
Other executives reportedly joining the trip include Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, Cargill’s Brian Sikes, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, Coherent’s Jim Anderson, GE Aerospace’s H. Lawrence Culp Jr., Goldman Sachs’s David Solomon, Illumina’s Jacob Thaysen, Mastercard’s Michael Miebach, Meta Platforms executive Dina Powell McCormick, Micron Technology’s Sanjay Mehrotra, Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon, and Visa’s Ryan McInerney. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the list has not yet been formally announced.
Cisco said its chief executive Chuck Robbins had also been invited but will not take part due to a scheduling conflict with the company’s earnings announcement.
The visit is expected to include efforts by Trump to secure business agreements and purchase commitments from Beijing, alongside broader diplomatic discussions.
Key topics on the agenda are likely to include trade policy, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and ongoing tensions linked to Iran. Relations between the world’s two largest economies have remained fragile, particularly amid disputes over advanced semiconductor access and technology restrictions.
Notably absent from the expected delegation is Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang. In comments to CNBC’s Jim Cramer last week, he said, “We should let the president announce whatever he decides to announce. If invited, it would be a privilege, it would be a great honour to represent the United States.”
Other major U.S. companies with significant exposure to China, including General Motors, Disney, and Alphabet, were not included in the list of expected attendees.
Citigroup chief executive Jane Fraser, speaking to CNBC’s Leslie Picker, highlighted the importance of continued engagement between the two countries, saying, “I think it’s very important to see engagement” between the two economic superpowers.