Trump Departs For Beijing Tonight With Musk And Cook In Tow
President Trump departs Tuesday for a state visit to Beijing, bringing Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and more than a dozen top US executives. The agenda covers trade, AI, semiconductors, rare earths, Iran, and Taiwan.
A High-Stakes Delegation Heads to Beijing
President Trump departed Washington on Tuesday for a state visit to China, with Beijing confirming the visit will run from May 13 to 15, according to the Xinhua official news agency. @elonmusk and @tim_cook are among those making the trip. Trump will be joined in China by 16 CEOs, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook.
Executives invited include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock's CEO Larry Fink, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, according to a White House official. Others on the list include Blackstone Chairman Stephen Schwarzman, Cargill CEO Brian Sikes, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, Coherent CEO Jim Anderson, GE Aerospace Chairman H. Lawrence Culp Jr., Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Meta's Dina Powell McCormick, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, and Visa CEO Ryan McInerney.
The delegation spans key industries, including aviation, technology, banking, and social media, as the Trump administration seeks to negotiate trade agreements and manage the flow of sensitive goods between the world's two largest economies.
Agenda: Trade, AI, Iran, and More
President Trump is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing for a high-stakes summit as uncertainty over the war with Iran roils global oil markets and supply chains. Aside from discussions about Iran, the two leaders are expected to discuss trade and artificial intelligence. Rare earths, Taiwan, semiconductors, and the Strait of Hormuz crisis are also on the agenda.
US officials have said Trump wants to discuss the creation of a board of investment and a board of trade with China, with the delegation including business leaders across a wide range of industries. Industry sources say Boeing and Chinese officials have been discussing a potential agreement involving as many as 500 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, along with dozens of widebody jets powered by GE Aerospace engines. If finalized, the deal could become the largest aircraft order ever recorded and would mark China's first major Boeing purchase since 2017.
The inclusion of Musk in the delegation is the latest sign that the world's richest man has restored his relationship with the president, having departed the administration after a falling-out but rehabilitated his relationship with Trump in recent months.
The US and Chinese leaders meet after steadily escalating tensions, including a tit-for-tat trade battle following the announcement of the White House's "Liberation Day" tariffs a little over a year ago. Investors and global business leaders are closely watching the China visit for signs that the two countries may be entering a more stable phase of economic cooperation.
Sources:
CNBC: Trump invites Musk, Cook, Fink and other CEOs to join China trip
CBS News: Elon Musk and other CEOs among those invited to Trump's China delegation
Fortune: Trump on a charm offensive ahead of President Xi meeting
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Jon WangJon studied Philosophy at the University of Cambridge and has been researching cryptocurrency full-time since 2019. He started his career managing channels and creating content for Coin Bureau, before transitioning to investment research for venture capital funds, specializing in early-stage crypto investments. Jon has served on the committee for the Blockchain Society at the University of Cambridge and has studied nearly all areas of the blockchain industry, from early stage investments and altcoins, through to the macroeconomic factors influencing the sector.
