President Donald Trump landed in China Wednesday for a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping, bringing with him a roster of corporate heavyweights that underscores the market stakes behind the diplomacy.
Trump previewed the trip on Truth Social by saying he would ask Xi to "open up China" so U.S. business leaders could "work their magic," adding, "I will make that my very first request."
The comment points to a dealmaking agenda centered on market access, trade barriers and technology restrictions, with the trip framed as a push to "open up" China for U.S. business.
Trump's CEO Entourage
The CEO firepower is hard to miss. Executives from major U.S. tech companies represented on the trip carried a combined market capitalization of roughly $16.4 trillion and include:
The $16.4 trillion figure excludes Cargill and SpaceX, both private companies, and amounts to about 3.5 times the size of Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), based on its current market value.
Jensen Joins the Delegation
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined the delegation during a refueling stop in Alaska, a notable addition as Nvidia continues to navigate restrictions around selling advanced artificial intelligence chips into China.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was also traveling on the presidential plane, while Apple CEO Tim Cook was present in Beijing for the visit.
The trip comes as Washington and Beijing remain locked in disputes over tariffs, rare earths, AI competition, Taiwan and broader market access.
Trump's message suggests he wants the summit to produce more than diplomatic theater: a path for America's largest companies to do more business inside the world's second-largest economy.
