Donald Trump is headed to Beijing for a two-day meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, bringing along a delegation of top American CEOs that includes Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Jensen Huang, and several others. The visit, described as unprecedented in scale and the caliber of business leaders involved, is meant to secure what the Trump administration is calling 'deals' with China. Trade is expected to dominate the agenda, but Iran will also be a major topic of discussion.
Who's on the plane
The list of executives joining Trump is heavy on tech and finance. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, BlackRock's Larry Fink, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, and Boeing's Kelly Ortberg are all making the trip. Early reports suggested Huang hadn't been invited, but Trump later dismissed those claims. The delegation also includes other prominent business leaders, though their names were not specified.
Trade top of the list
Trump plans to urge Xi to 'open up' China's economy, arguing that allowing innovators to thrive would benefit both countries. The meeting comes as U.S.-China trade tensions remain high, and Trump is expected to push for concessions that would ease restrictions on American companies operating in China. The visit follows Trump's earlier trip to China in 2017, but the context has shifted sharply since then.
Nvidia's AI chip restrictions loom
Jensen Huang's presence puts a spotlight on one of the most contentious issues between the two nations. Over the last four years, the U.S. has tightened restrictions on sales of Nvidia's most advanced AI chips to China. Those restrictions are likely to come up during the talks, though no specific proposals have been floated publicly. Trump has not indicated whether he plans to ease or maintain the curbs.
Iran also on the table
Beyond trade, the two leaders are expected to discuss Iran extensively. The topic was not a major part of Trump's 2017 visit, but it has become a critical issue as the U.S. and China hold different positions on Tehran's nuclear program and regional influence. How much common ground they can find remains an open question.
The meetings are set to begin later this week. No public joint statement has been scheduled, and it is unclear whether any agreements will be announced before Trump departs.
