Beijing: US President Donald Trump is travelling to China, accompanied by a large delegation of leading American business and technology executives, in what is being viewed as a critical moment for US–China economic relations.
Among those joining the official visit to Beijing are Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple chief executive Tim Cook, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, alongside senior leaders from Meta, Visa, JPMorgan, Boeing, Cargill, Goldman Sachs and other major corporations. More than a dozen executives are part of the delegation, according to a White House official.
The visit comes ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with tensions between the two countries intensifying over trade, technology and advanced manufacturing, particularly in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
President Donald J. Trump departs Washington D.C. for a historic visit to China! pic.twitter.com/8Qok0Xcqcd
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 12, 2026
Focus on AI chips and tech rivalry
The inclusion of Nvidia’s Jensen Huang has drawn particular attention, given the company’s dominance in advanced AI chips, which remain a central point of competition between Washington and Beijing. Huang was initially not listed among the delegation but later boarded Air Force One after a last-minute invitation from Trump, according to officials.
Nvidia also confirmed his participation, saying he joined at the invitation of the President to support America and the administration’s goals. Huang also serves on Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, alongside other prominent tech figures.
Major corporate representation
The delegation includes senior executives from a wide range of industries:
- Dina Powell McCormick (Meta vice chair and president)
- Kelly Ortberg (Boeing CEO)
- Ryan McInerney (Visa CEO)
- Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone CEO)
- Jane Fraser (Citigroup CEO)
- David Solomon (Goldman Sachs CEO)
- Michael Miebach (Mastercard president)
- Brian Sikes (Cargill CEO)
- Jim Anderson (Coherent CEO)
- Henry Lawrence Culp (GE Aerospace CEO)
- Jacob Thaysen (Illumina CEO)
- Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron Technology CEO)
Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins was also invited but was unable to attend due to earnings commitments, according to the company.
Trade tensions and strategic stakes
The visit marks the first trip to China by a US president in nearly a decade and is being described as a key test of a fragile trade truce between the two nations.
US–China relations have remained strained following years of tariff escalations, with duties at times exceeding 100 percent before being paused in late 2025 after a previous Trump–Xi meeting in South Korea.
Semiconductors, AI development and export controls remain central to the dispute, with companies like Nvidia and Micron directly affected by shifting policy and restrictions in China.
Geopolitical backdrop
The summit is also unfolding against wider geopolitical tensions, including ongoing conflict involving Iran and its impact on global energy markets. The US is expected to press China to use its influence over Iranian oil imports to support diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
China, meanwhile, has also expressed interest in stabilising the conflict, citing broader economic impacts on global trade and energy flows.
The Beijing meeting is expected to focus on stabilising trade relations, easing technological friction, and managing competing strategic interests in AI, semiconductors and global supply chains with the presence of top US executives underscoring the economic stakes involved.
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