Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting the US from 23-25/9 to meet with US President Donald Trump. Media outlets reported that the US and Chinese leaders will discuss shaping an economic and trade cooperation framework, AI governance, the potential resumption of arms control talks, promoting military communication channels, and addressing tensions in the Middle East.
Both sides are expected to attend a reception on 24/9 at the White House. CNBC sources indicated that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will be among the US CEOs present at the state dinner. Senior US officials also revealed other attendees for the event, including: Jensen Huang (Nvidia), Sam Altman (OpenAI), Sundar Pichai (Google), Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX), Jane Fraser (Citigroup), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Tim Cook (Apple), Michael Dell (Dell), and Mark Zuckerberg (Meta).
When President Trump visited Beijing in May, more than 10 business leaders accompanied him, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang.
However, on the Chinese side, there is currently little information regarding which business leaders will accompany President Xi to the US this week.
Reuters reported last week that CEOs under consideration include representatives from electric vehicle giant BYD, electronics manufacturers Xiaomi and Hisense, battery groups CATL and Gotion, automotive parts supplier Wanxiang, state-owned Bank of China, and agricultural conglomerate COFCO. These companies have not yet commented on the matter.
"Whether BYD participates in the summit meeting between President Trump and President Xi this week will signal the potential presence of Chinese electric vehicles in the US. This will also indicate President Xi's view on the importance of electric vehicles in Beijing's international expansion strategy," commented Isaac Stone Fish, founder of consulting firm Strategy Risks.
President Xi is expected to bring many leaders of state-owned enterprises to the US. "However, many of these individuals are also state officials, with positions potentially equivalent to ministers," Fish stated. He revealed that "state-owned enterprises are often less welcomed by the US as investors compared to private companies."
Nevertheless, the Wall Street Journal reported on 22/9, citing sources, that President Xi might not bring any business leaders to the US. This would lower expectations for significant business outcomes from this meeting.
In recent years, tensions between the US and China have escalated. Both governments have placed many of each other's businesses on trade restriction lists. Consequently, many large Chinese companies find it difficult to invest in manufacturing in the US, which is typically a key topic when foreign business leaders visit Washington.
By Ha Thu (Source: CNBC, Reuters)
