President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing next week with a considerably reduced group of American business executives, according to five sources familiar with the planning process. The smaller delegation signals internal disagreements within the administration regarding economic strategy toward China and modest hopes for the upcoming diplomatic meetings.
The White House and Treasury Department considered extending invitations to representatives from roughly twelve American corporations for the May 14-15 summit, a sharp contrast to Trump’s previous 2017 Beijing trip when 29 prominent business leaders joined the presidential entourage.
While Reuters could not verify the complete roster of invited companies, Semafor reported that executives from major firms including Nvidia, Apple, Qualcomm, Citigroup, and Boeing received invitations to participate in the diplomatic visit.
The business leaders would participate in an official state dinner hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping alongside Trump, according to two sources briefed on the arrangements.
Sources indicated that invitation offers were distributed unusually late due to disagreements within the administration about both the delegation’s size and which executives should receive invitations.
The scaled-back American business presence contrasts sharply with recent visits by other Western leaders to Beijing. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought 60 business and cultural representatives during his January trip, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled with 29 industry leaders the following month.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had expressed reluctance about bringing a large group of high-profile CEOs to Beijing when the summit was originally scheduled for March, preferring to maintain focus on “managed trade” discussions, Reuters previously reported.
Reva Goujon, a geopolitical strategist with consulting firm Rhodium Group, commented on the approach: “A small CEO delegation that aligns with the actual concessions and negotiating points would make sense… Greer seems very conscious of not setting expectations too high.”
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company has faced obstacles selling artificial intelligence chips to China, told CNBC Tuesday that he would participate in Trump’s China visit “if invited.”
Three sources revealed that major American beef and soybean producers were also being considered for inclusion in the delegation.
All individuals who spoke with Reuters requested anonymity because state visit planning remains in progress.
Trump’s 2017 Beijing visit emphasized ceremony and commercial agreements. Xi Jinping provided Trump with an exclusive private tour of the Forbidden City, and the trip featured deals valued at more than $250 billion, including a $37 billion agreement for 300 Boeing aircraft and energy projects worth $69 billion.
However, many of those agreements consisted of non-binding memoranda of understanding or multi-year purchasing frameworks rather than immediate contracts.
The 2017 American delegation included ten companies from the gas and energy sectors. Qualcomm, a chip supplier that considers China its largest market, was among the few technology companies that participated.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg stated last month that this year’s summit represents a crucial opportunity for securing China’s first major Boeing order since 2017. Industry sources indicate that Boeing and China have conducted extended negotiations for a potential deal involving 500 737 MAX aircraft plus additional widebody jets.
Summit discussions will also address the possibility of extending October’s trade truce, during which both nations suspended retaliatory export controls. Beijing seeks at least a one-year extension while Washington prefers a six-month timeline, according to two sources.
China additionally wants the Trump administration to pledge against future retaliatory trade measures such as technology export controls and to eliminate existing restrictions on chipmaking equipment and advanced memory chips, according to individuals briefed on summit preparations.
