Xi Pledges Wider Market Access as Musk, Cook and Huang Join Trump in Beijing

CNBC reported Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping told a delegation of America’s most powerful technology executives that China’s door to foreign business would only open wider. The pledge came as President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing alongside a roster of corporate heavyweights for what observers called one of the most consequential bilateral summits in years.

Tech Titans Land in Beijing Alongside Trump

The delegation included Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Trump personally introduced each executive to Xi during the formal ceremony. According to state-backed outlet Xinhua, the American executives voiced strong interest in deepening their footprints inside China. Xi indicated he welcomed exactly that kind of expanded cooperation, calling U.S. companies longstanding partners in China’s economic development.

The White House echoed the tone in a statement posted to X, citing discussions around broadening market access for American firms and increasing Chinese investment flows into the United States.

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A Fraught Backdrop for Openness

The warm words land against a complicated recent history. Washington has spent several years restricting exports of advanced semiconductors to China, specifically targeting Nvidia’s higher-end products. China, for its part, has pushed domestic companies to buy locally made chips rather than rely on American suppliers. That dynamic has created a technology cold war running beneath the diplomatic surface.

Huang, who joined the trip late, described the Beijing gathering to reporters as one of the most important summits in human history. He declined to address questions about chip sales directly but praised both leaders’ tone as welcoming and uplifting.

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H200 Report Adds Intrigue to Nvidia’s Beijing Moment

Reuters separately reported Thursday that Washington had quietly authorised Nvidia to supply the H200, one of its more advanced chips, to select Chinese technology firms. The news caught U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent off guard when questioned live on CNBC. Bessent said the matter fell under the Commerce Department’s remit and that outcomes remained unclear.

Bessent did confirm that the two governments plan to collaborate on artificial intelligence safety standards, specifically to prevent non-state actors from gaining access to powerful models. One analyst told CNBC that Xi’s openness signalling was substantive rather than rhetorical, arguing China genuinely needs to remain attractive to foreign capital as its own economic pressures mount.

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