A small group of Chinese business leaders has travelled to Washington separately from Xi Jinping’s official entourage and is waiting to learn whether it will attend the US state dinner for the Chinese president, according to the South China Morning Post.
A small group of Chinese CEOs holding US visas has arrived in Washington ahead of President Xi Jinping’s state dinner with US President Donald Trump, but the executives remain uncertain about whether they will be invited to the White House banquet, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.
According to sources cited by SCMP, the Chinese executives travelled separately from Xi’s official delegation and did not fly aboard his aircraft. The arrangement differs from Trump’s May visit to China, when a large group of US corporate leaders travelled alongside the American president.
The final decision on whether Chinese business leaders would participate in state visit events was linked partly to ongoing discussions between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng, sources told SCMP.
The two sides have also agreed to extend the so-called “Busan arrangement” on trade by two months, until January 10. According to SCMP, the extension could leave the door open for Chinese executives to attend the state dinner or related events.
Executives from major Chinese companies including Alibaba, Xiaomi, CATL and BYD were among the names being discussed, the report said. Chinese electric-vehicle companies were also reportedly keen to explore investment opportunities in the United States.
The presence of Chinese business leaders would carry symbolic importance for Beijing, SCMP reported, as it would place Chinese corporate and technology leaders alongside major US executives and highlight the commercial links between the two economies.
On the US side, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook are among the business leaders expected at the dinner, along with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
SCMP reported that the White House banquet could accommodate up to 100 guests, with around 30 places allocated to the Chinese side.