From Tesla to Apple, top CEOs join Trump for crucial Beijing talks

US President Donald Trump is set to travel to Beijing this week for a major summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by some of America's most influential corporate leaders.

The visit comes as Washington and Beijing attempt to stabilise economic ties amid tensions over artificial intelligence, export controls, rare-earth minerals and the ongoing Iran conflict.

Musk, Tim Cook, Larry Fink among invited CEOs

According to the White House, the delegation includes Tesla chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock chairman Larry Fink and Boeing chief Kelly Ortberg, a Mint report stated.

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The report further stated that other executives travelling with the delegation include Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, Citigroup's Jane Fraser, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Qualcomm chief Cristiano Amon, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney and Micron Technology chief Sanjay Mehrotra, among others.

Cisco confirmed that CEO Chuck Robbins received an invitation but would not attend because of the company’s earnings schedule.

Notably absent from the delegation is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. In a recent interview, Huang was quoted as saying by Mint, "We should let the president announce whatever he decides to announce. If invited, it would be a privilege, it would be a great honor to represent the United States."

Trade, AI and Iran war on summit agenda

Per Mint, Trump signalled optimism ahead of the talks, telling reporters, "We're doing a lot of business with China and making a lot of money. We're making a lot of money, it's different than it used to be."

The summit discussions are expected to focus on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, export restrictions and the Iran war. Reports suggest both countries are likely to extend the trade truce reached last October, while China could announce plans to purchase American soybeans, beef and Boeing aircraft.

US officials have also discussed creating a new Board of Trade aimed at improving economic engagement in sectors that do not involve national security concerns.

Trade imbalance remains a challenge

Despite efforts to stabilise ties, trade data reflects ongoing challenges between the two economies. China purchased nearly $50 billion less in American products last year than in 2022, while the US-China trade imbalance stood at $202 billion, per a Mint report.

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China's share of US imports has also fallen sharply since 2017, as companies increasingly shift supply chains to countries such as Vietnam and India amid the growing technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing.