The White House announced on 11/5 the list of executives accompanying President Donald Trump to China for his visit from 13-15/5. The list includes Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Dina Powell McCormick of Meta, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, and other business leaders.
This delegation represents key sectors such as aviation, technology, banking, and social media. The Trump administration seeks to negotiate trade agreements and control the flow of sensitive goods between the world's two largest economies.
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CEO Tesla Elon Musk (left) and CEO Apple Tim Cook. Photo: AFP
President Trump's visit was initially planned for March but was postponed due to the Iran conflict. According to White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly, an official reception and talks between President Trump and Chairman Xi will take place on the morning of 14/5. The two leaders will then visit the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon and attend a state banquet in the evening. On 15/5, President Trump and Chairman Xi will have a tea party and a working lunch before the US leader returns to Washington.
Discussions during the visit are expected to highlight proposals for a "US-China Trade Council" and a "US-China Investment Council," initiatives promoted by the Trump administration. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke last month with Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Ha Lap Phong, emphasizing the Trade Council's potential role in "optimizing bilateral trade for non-sensitive goods."
This marks President Trump's first visit to China since his state visit in 2017 during his first term. The most recent meeting between President Trump and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping was in South Korea in October 2025.
Boeing CEO Ortberg stated this month that Boeing hopes the Trump administration will help the company secure a major order from China. According to Reuters, Beijing is expected to announce a deal to purchase Boeing aircraft, China's first large order since 2017, along with US agricultural and energy products.
Topics such as tariffs, Taiwan, and competition over artificial intelligence and strategic minerals are also expected to be discussed.
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US President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping meet in South Korea in October 2025. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations face disagreements spanning trade, access to strategic resources, and the Taiwan issue. Tensions between the two countries escalated after President Trump imposed significant tariffs on China early in his second term. Beijing also implemented a substantial boycott of US agricultural products for most of last year.
Tensions eased following the meeting between the two leaders in South Korea last year, where they agreed to a one-year tariff de-escalation and committed to stabilizing relations. President Trump and Chairman Xi had phone calls in November 2025 and again in February.
Huyen Le (According to Reuters, SCMP)
