Top US CEOs Join Trump on Beijing Trip

BBC Business reported Wednesday that more than a dozen of America’s most powerful executives have accompanied President Donald Trump on his official visit to Beijing, where he is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The roster includes Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, Larry Fink of BlackRock, and leaders from JPMorgan, Meta, Boeing, Visa, Goldman Sachs and Cargill, among others.

A Last-Minute Addition Steals the Spotlight

The most striking development involved Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia. Huang was not on the original delegation list. Trump personally called Huang on Tuesday morning after learning of his absence. Huang subsequently boarded Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

A Nvidia spokesperson told the BBC that Huang joined “at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.” Trump later pushed back on media reports suggesting Huang had been excluded, calling the coverage inaccurate.

Huang’s inclusion carries significant weight. Nvidia’s advanced AI chips sit at the centre of the intensifying technology rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Huang also serves on Trump’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Background: A Fragile Trade Truce Under the Microscope

Trump’s Beijing visit is the first by a sitting US president in nearly ten years. It follows a bruising tit-for-tat tariff war that pushed duties above 100% on both sides. A pause was agreed in October 2025 after Trump and Xi met in South Korea, but the underlying tensions over technology, semiconductors and export controls have not resolved.

The presence of Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron Technology, adds another layer of complexity. China restricted Micron products in critical infrastructure in 2023, citing national security. Micron acknowledged the move dented its Chinese business.

Geopolitics Adds Further Pressure

Overshadowing the summit is the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which has already delayed scheduled talks between Trump and Xi. Washington reportedly wants Beijing, a significant buyer of Iranian oil, to help broker a ceasefire. China has separately reduced oil flows to Iran, squeezing the purchasing power of countries that buy Chinese goods. Beijing is said to share an interest in ending the conflict.

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins was invited but could not attend due to a scheduled earnings call, a company spokeswoman confirmed.

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