From Musk to Nvidia’s Jensen Huang: The power CEOs land in Beijing with Trump to reset trade ties

President Donald Trump waves from the stairs of Air Force One as he boards upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Tuesday, May 12, 2026, for a trip to China to meet President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo)

Here’s a look at some of the CEOs travelling with Trump:

Elon Musk: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk once led Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency before exiting the controversial agency in spring 2025. The department itself was shut down later that year. Musk’s relationship with Trump turned turbulent last summer after a public feud in which the billionaire accused the administration, without evidence, of hiding information related to Jeffrey Epstein. He later admitted regretting some of his posts on X.

Since then, Musk has shifted focus back to Tesla and his other ventures. With major business interests in China, Musk has made multiple visits to the country. He is also facing pressure in Europe, where French prosecutors are pursuing charges tied to child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, disinformation and alleged AI-related misconduct on X and Grok. Separately, Musk remains locked in a legal battle with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Tim Cook: Apple CEO Tim Cook is preparing to step down after nearly 15 years at the helm of the tech giant. Cook recently announced he will hand over CEO responsibilities to Apple hardware chief John Ternus on September 1, while staying on as executive chairman.

Under Cook, Apple’s valuation surged by more than $3.6 trillion during the iPhone boom. But his tenure also required careful navigation of US-China tensions, especially during the Trump-era trade wars. Cook previously convinced Trump to spare the iPhone from first-term tariffs, but faced tougher challenges during Trump’s current administration.

While Trump pushed Apple to shift manufacturing back to the US, Cook reduced tariff exposure by moving production for US-bound iPhones to India and securing exemptions after pledging a $600 billion US investment.

Kelly Ortberg: Boeing CEO Robert “Kelly” Ortberg, who took charge in 2024 after previously leading Rockwell Collins, has spent much of his first year trying to stabilise the aerospace giant amid regulatory troubles, production setbacks and mounting financial pressure.

Ortberg had earlier said the US-China trade war would not derail Boeing’s recovery, despite Chinese airlines resisting deliveries of Boeing aircraft. Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs, raised to 125% after Trump hiked duties on Chinese goods, sharply increased costs for American-made jets.

Still, Boeing’s exposure to China has reduced over time, with fewer aircraft now being delivered there. The company nevertheless remains in talks with Beijing over a potential major aircraft deal.

Who else is travelling?

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
• BlackRock CEO Larry Fink
• Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman
• Cargill CEO Brian Sikes
• Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser
• Coherent CEO Jim Anderson
• GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp
• Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon
• Illumina CEO Jacob Thaysen
• Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach
• Meta President Dina Powell McCormick
• Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra
• Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon
• Visa CEO Ryan McInerney

Chuck Robbins, chief executive and chairman of Cisco, had also been invited to be a part of the trip, “but is unable to due to earnings,” BBC reported, citing a company spokeswoman.

As Trump prepared for the high-profile visit, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held talks with Chinese officials in South Korea to preserve the fragile trade truce reached last year between Washington and Beijing.

Many of the CEOs accompanying Trump represent companies trying to resolve major business challenges in China. Nvidia, for example, has struggled to obtain approval to sell its advanced H200 AI chips in the Chinese market.

Trump said he planned to urge Chinese President Xi Jinping to further open China’s economy to American businesses.

Jensen Huang reportedly joined the trip at the last minute after a direct request from Trump. He was later seen boarding Air Force One during a refuelling stop in Alaska ahead of Trump’s arrival in Beijing for meetings with Xi, including a state banquet and a visit to the Temple of Heaven.

Beyond trade, discussions are expected to cover the Iran conflict, Taiwan, semiconductor restrictions and broader geopolitical tensions.

Meanwhile, China reiterated its opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, even as a proposed $14 billion weapons package awaits Trump’s approval.

At the same time, Bessent’s negotiations with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng focused on maintaining the October trade truce, under which Trump paused steep tariffs while China eased restrictions on rare earth exports critical to industries ranging from EVs to defence.

Washington is also pushing for increased Chinese purchases of Boeing aircraft, US agriculture and energy products, while Beijing wants looser US restrictions on chipmaking technology exports.

(With inputs from agencies)