Donald Trump is heading back to Beijing, and he isn't going alone. When the President touches down for his high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping on May 13, he’ll have a heavy-hitting entourage of American CEOs in tow. We’re talking about the biggest names in tech and finance—Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Stephen Schwarzman, just to name a few.
If you're wondering why a sitting president is basically running a corporate field trip to China, it's not for the sightseeing. This trip is about cold, hard cash and leverage. Trump wants to lock in massive trade deals that scream "America First," and he’s using these executives as both experts and bargaining chips. Don't miss our earlier post on this related article.
The heavy hitters on the guest list
The delegation is a "who's who" of the American economy. You've got Elon Musk, whose Tesla Giga Shanghai factory is basically the heart of his EV empire. Then there’s Tim Cook, who’s spent years playing a delicate balancing act to keep Apple’s supply chain running through Chinese factories while diversifying just enough to keep Washington happy.
But it’s not just tech. The list includes: If you want more about the history here, The Motley Fool provides an in-depth breakdown.
- Kelly Ortberg (Boeing): Rumor has it a 500-jet deal for the 737 Max is on the table.
- Larry Fink (BlackRock) and Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone): The Wall Street titans are there to talk investment and market access.
- Jane Fraser (Citigroup) and David Solomon (Goldman Sachs): Representing the backbone of the U.S. financial system.
- Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm) and Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron): The semiconductor guys who are right in the middle of the "chip wars."
Noticeably absent? Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Despite Nvidia being the king of the AI world, the White House reportedly left him off the list. Why? Because this trip is leaning heavily into agriculture and commercial aviation rather than high-end AI chips that are currently tangled in export bans.
What Elon Musk actually wants in Beijing
Musk isn’t there just to be a "Team Trump" cheerleader. He has a massive prize in his sights: Full Self-Driving (FSD) approval in China. Tesla’s been working on this for a while. They’ve already set up a data center in Shanghai to keep vehicle data within Chinese borders and partnered with Baidu for mapping. Musk told shareholders last year that he expected the green light by March 2026. That deadline passed, and now the target has shifted to the third quarter of this year. Being part of this official delegation gives Musk the direct line he needs to Chinese regulators to get that FSD software—currently priced at 62,000 yuan—into the hands of millions of Chinese drivers.
Tim Cook and the Apple transition
Tim Cook’s presence is equally strategic. He’s actually preparing to step down from the CEO role soon to focus on government relations. This trip is basically his victory lap and his final "fixer" mission. Even though Apple has started moving some production to Vietnam and India, the vast majority of iPhones are still made in China. Cook needs to ensure that any new tariffs or trade restrictions don't blow a hole in Apple’s margins before he hands over the keys.
The Boeing 500-jet deal
If this trip has a "main event" besides the Trump-Xi meeting, it's Boeing. Reports suggest a deal for 500 Boeing 737 Max jets is nearly finalized. This would be the first major order from China since 2017 and could be one of the biggest airplane orders in history. Kelly Ortberg has been counting on the Trump administration to break the ice here. For Boeing, which has been through a rough few years with safety issues and labor strikes, this isn't just a win—it's a lifeline.
China's "Blocking Statute" is the elephant in the room
Don't think Xi Jinping is just going to roll out the red carpet and hand over checks. Just days ago, China’s Ministry of Commerce invoked a "blocking statute" that basically tells companies they don't have to follow U.S. sanctions.
This is a direct shot at U.S. export controls. It puts companies like Apple and Tesla in a nightmare position: follow U.S. law and get sued in China, or follow Chinese law and get hammered by Washington. Trump’s goal is to find a middle ground—or "guardrails"—so these CEOs don't get caught in the legal crossfire.
What happens next
The summit runs from May 13 to May 15. Expect a flurry of announcements about agricultural purchases—think lots of soybeans and corn—alongside the Boeing deal.
If you're an investor, keep a close eye on Tesla ($TSLA) and Apple ($AAPL) stock this week. Any hint of FSD approval or a "truce" on tech tariffs will send those tickers moving. For everyone else, it’s a masterclass in how modern diplomacy works. It’s no longer just politicians in suits; it’s the billionaires who run our tech and banks sitting at the table, trying to make sure the world’s two biggest economies don't accidentally stop talking to each other.
If you’re following this, watch the official White House press briefings on the 15th. That’s when we’ll see the actual signatures on the dotted lines. Apple and Tesla shareholders should also monitor regulatory filings in China over the next 48 hours for any "sudden" approvals that happen to coincide with the trip.
