Top US CEOs to Join Trump on China Trip
U.S. business leaders, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook, are joining President Trump's China visit to focus on trade deals.
Lauren Collins ·
A group of prominent U.S. corporate leaders will accompany U.S. President Donald Trump on a visit to China this week, a White House official confirmed on May 11. The delegation includes Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. Officials indicated the trip will emphasize commercial aviation and agricultural issues, with potential large-scale orders for U.S. companies.
Other executives expected to take part include Meta’s Dina Powell McCormick, Blackrock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrota, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Qualcomm CEO Christiano Amon and Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, the official said.
The planned delegation comes as Washington and Beijing manage a mix of trade, technology and industrial-policy disputes, while U.S. companies continue to seek market access and major contracts in China. The White House did not immediately respond to a separate request for comment on the trip’s agenda, according to the source material.
Focus on aviation and agriculture
Officials said the White House is concentrating on agriculture and commercial aviation discussions during the visit, rather than semiconductor-related talks. A source familiar with the matter said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will not travel to Beijing with Trump and was not invited.
Boeing has been in prolonged talks with China on a potential deal that industry sources said could include 500 737 MAX jets and dozens of widebody jets powered by GE engines. If completed, it would be China’s first major Boeing order since 2017, and any announcement during the leaders’ meetings would be viewed as a significant commercial outcome.
Nvidia chips not central to the trip
While the administration has supported exporting Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to China, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on April 22 that the chips had not yet been sold, citing difficulties for Chinese companies in obtaining permission from the Chinese government to buy them.
The composition of the delegation underscores the administration’s emphasis on large-ticket commercial deals during the China visit. Investors and companies will watch for any formal announcements during the trip, particularly around aircraft orders and agriculture-related commitments.