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Trump Invites Tech and Finance Executives to Join China Trip
A group of prominent U.S. executives from technology, finance and agricultural companies have been invited to accompany the President on a trip to Beijing this week. The visit includes a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping focused on trade, artificial intelligence and Iran. The executives include the CEOs of Tesla, Apple and BlackRock.
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A group of top executives from American tech, finance and agricultural companies have been invited to join President Trump on a trip to China later this week, according to a White House official. Trump is set to leave Tuesday for Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Discussions are expected to cover Iran along with trade and artificial intelligence. The White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, listed several executives invited on the trip.
Among those invited is Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Musk previously led the Department of Government Efficiency until leaving in the spring of 2025 before the agency was shuttered in November. Musk also owns the social media platform X. Tesla maintains operations in China and Musk has visited the country previously.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was also invited. Cook announced last month that his 15-year tenure as chief executive will end on Sept. 1, when he turns over the role to Apple’s head of hardware engineering, John Ternus. Cook will remain with the company as executive chairman.
During his time leading Apple, the company’s market value increased by more than $3.6 trillion. Cook has previously engaged with Chinese officials on manufacturing and trade matters.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink was also invited, according to the report.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to accompany Trump on the trip. Defense secretaries have previously traveled with presidents on overseas trips to provide advice and represent the U.S. military. The inclusion of business leaders reflects continued focus on economic ties between the world’s two largest economies even amid tensions over trade, technology and geopolitics.
The trip comes as Trump seeks to address multiple international issues in one high-profile visit, with the business contingent potentially providing input on commercial matters during the Beijing meetings.
