Trump Takes Top CEOs to Beijing for High-Stakes Xi Meeting

BBC Business reported Monday that President Donald Trump will bring 17 senior US executives to Beijing this week. The delegation accompanies him to a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A Who’s Who of American Business

The list spans finance, technology, manufacturing and defense. Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and BlackRock chairman Larry Fink headline the group. Others confirmed include Boeing president Kelly Ortberg, Visa CEO Ryan McInerney, Goldman Sachs chief David Solomon, and Citi CEO Jane Fraser. Blackstone, Cisco, GE Aerospace, Mastercard, Cargill, Coherent, Illumina, Meta and JPMorgan also have representatives attending. The White House confirmed the full roster to BBC Business. None of the 17 companies had responded to comment requests at the time of publication.

Also Read: US-China Trade Truce Explained

How the Two Countries Got Here

The Beijing visit arrives after a prolonged and bruising trade war. Both nations imposed tariffs exceeding 100% on each other’s goods at various points. A pause was agreed in October 2025, following a Trump-Xi summit held in South Korea. That truce remains fragile, and economic and technological tensions have not fully eased. The executive delegation signals Washington wants commerce, not just diplomacy, at the center of talks.

Also Read: Oil Price Seen Staying Above $100 for Rest of 2026, JPMorgan Says

Iran War Casts a Shadow

A complicating factor hangs over the summit. The ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran has already pushed back the scheduled meeting between the two leaders. Trump is expected to press Beijing to use its economic leverage over Tehran to help broker a ceasefire. China imports significant volumes of Iranian oil and has been seeking an end to the conflict on its own terms. Beijing has already curtailed some oil purchases from Iran, tightening global supply and squeezing import-dependent economies. China’s diversified energy base has insulated it better than many neighbors from the war’s economic fallout. Whether Xi agrees to apply further pressure on Tehran remains a central unknown heading into the talks.

What Comes Next

The presence of corporate America’s biggest names underscores the stakes of this trip. Markets will be watching closely for any signal that the tariff truce could become something more durable. A joint statement, even a vague one, could move equities and commodities. Any breakdown would do the opposite.

Read Next: JPMorgan Sees Oil Staying in Low $100s Even if Hormuz Reopens