US President Donald Trump is set to travel to China on 14 and 15 May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with trade and business relations expected to dominate the agenda. The visit is being viewed as an effort to steady ties between the world’s two largest economies amid ongoing disputes over artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, rare-earth supplies and the Iran conflict.
Attention ahead of the summit has focused on the list of corporate leaders accompanying Trump, particularly the inclusion of Elon Musk and the absence of Jensen Huang.
Musk is expected to join the presidential delegation alongside executives from sectors such as technology, finance, manufacturing and aviation. His participation has drawn interest, given his previously strained ties with Trump following last year’s political disagreements. Reports suggest Musk is travelling as part of a broader business delegation rather than on a personal visit.
Tesla’s extensive operations in China are seen as a key reason behind Musk’s presence, with the company maintaining major manufacturing and commercial interests in the country. Observers believe his inclusion underlines Washington’s intention to highlight American business and technology interests during the discussions with Xi.
At the same time, Huang’s exclusion from the delegation has fuelled speculation. The Nvidia chief had reportedly been expected to attend and had indicated he would consider it an honour to represent the US. However, he was not invited to join the trip.
Nvidia remains central to the ongoing US-China technology rivalry because of its advanced AI chips and the restrictions surrounding semiconductor exports to China. Analysts believe the White House may have sought to avoid turning the summit into a debate over chip controls and AI-related trade tensions.
Despite Huang’s absence, reports suggest Trump’s administration has maintained close engagement with Nvidia and had earlier considered allowing exports of some advanced AI chips to China. |
