Trump jets to China with gaggle of CEOs, hoping Xi will ‘open up’ to them

President Donald Trump has traveled to Beijing for his first visit to China in nearly a decade, accompanied by a delegation of leaders from the United States’ most prominent technology and finance companies. The trip is centered on a request for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to open up the country to American business interests.

In a post on Truth Social on May 13, 2026, President Trump described the inclusion of business leaders on the trip as an honor. He stated that his primary objective upon meeting with the Chinese leader would be to facilitate greater access for these executives to operate within the People’s Republic of China.

The discussions taking place in Beijing are expected to focus on artificial intelligence and trade. These meetings follow a period of economic tension characterized by a bruising trade war that eventually led to an uneasy economic truce between the two nations.

Business Delegation and Air Force One

The presidential delegation includes several high-profile corporate executives. Elon Musk, the chief of Tesla and former leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), traveled with the president aboard Air Force One.

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, also joined the delegation. Huang, who leads the first company in history to reach a valuation exceeding $5 trillion, boarded Air Force One during a scheduled refueling stop in Anchorage.

Huang’s participation in the trip follows previous reports suggesting he would not attend. President Trump dismissed those reports as FAKE NEWS in his Truth Social post, asserting that Huang was traveling with him unless he was asked to leave, a possibility Trump described as highly unlikely.

A spokesperson for Nvidia confirmed Huang’s attendance in a statement, noting that he joined the trip at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.

Objectives for Nvidia and AI Trade

A primary goal for Nvidia during this visit is the expansion of exports to China. As the leader of the world’s most valuable company and a major provider of AI chips, Huang’s presence highlights the strategic importance of artificial intelligence in the current U.S.-China diplomatic dialogue.

The president’s approach to the meeting with President Xi is framed as a collaborative effort to elevate the economic standing of both nations. In his public communications, Trump referred to President Xi as a Leader of extraordinary distinction.

I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic, and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level! In fact, I promise, that when we are together, which will be in a matter of hours, I will make that my very first request. President Donald Trump via Truth Social

The visit represents a significant diplomatic effort to transition from a state of economic truce to a more open commercial relationship, specifically regarding the high-tech sector and the export of critical AI infrastructure.