Musk In, Huang Out: Who's Going With Trump To China, Who Is Not And Why?

Last Updated:May 12, 2026, 09:38 IST

Trump's China visit, scheduled for May 14 and 15, is seen as a business-driven summit aimed at stabilising economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

US President Donald Trump is preparing for a high-profile visit to China this week, where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks expected to focus heavily on trade and business relations.

The visit, scheduled for May 14 and 15, is being presented as a business-driven summit aimed at stabilising the economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies. The United States and China remain deeply connected through trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars, even as tensions continue over artificial intelligence, export controls, rare-earth minerals, Taiwan and the ongoing Iran war.

One of the biggest talking points ahead of the trip is the group of American corporate leaders travelling with Trump and one major name missing from the list – Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Trump invites Elon Musk

Among the business leaders expected to accompany Trump is SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a move that has surprised many because of the difficult relationship the two men appeared to share after last year’s fallout.

Musk had last year walked away from Trump’s DOGE. His inclusion in the China delegation now suggests a different direction in the Trump-Musk relationship.

Reports say Musk is joining the trip as part of a broader American business delegation rather than for a separate personal visit. The White House invited him alongside several major corporate chiefs from industries ranging from technology and finance to aviation and manufacturing.

Musk’s participation is important because of Tesla’s major business interests in China. The electric vehicle maker has a significant manufacturing and market presence there, making Musk an important figure in discussions linked to trade, industrial production and market access.

His presence also signals that the administration wants to showcase American commercial and technology interests during the summit with Xi Jinping.

Jensen Huang left out of delegation

While Musk’s inclusion has attracted attention, the absence of Jensen Huang has generated even more discussion.

Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, was expected to join the trip. Reports from Reuters and Bloomberg said the AI-chip company chief would have attended if invited. Huang himself stated that representing the United States would have been “a privilege" and “a great honour". However, he was not included in the presidential delegation.

Reports suggest the White House deliberately shaped the visit around broader trade and industrial matters rather than semiconductor and AI policy issues. The administration is said to be prioritising discussions on agriculture and commercial aviation, including possible Boeing aircraft deals, instead of chip exports and advanced technology controls.

This focus reportedly made Huang a less natural fit for the delegation.

Why Nvidia is different?

Nvidia currently sits at the centre of the growing technology battle between Washington and Beijing. The company’s AI chips have become a major issue in the wider US-China rivalry over advanced technology and export restrictions.

According to reports, the White House may not want the China summit to become dominated by debates around AI chip exports or pressure for concessions linked to semiconductor trade.

Because of this, Huang’s absence appears to reflect the administration’s priorities for the trip rather than any personal disagreement.

The situation is particularly interesting because Trump is believed to have developed a strong working relationship with Huang since returning to office. The administration had also agreed to allow Nvidia’s H200 AI chips to be exported to China.

However, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on April 22 that the chips had not yet been sold because Chinese companies were facing difficulties obtaining approval from their own government.

Who are the CEOs travelling with Trump to China?

The delegation travelling to Beijing includes some of the most influential names in global business.

Alongside Musk, the group is expected to include Tim Cook of Apple, Larry Fink, Kelly Ortberg and Stephen Schwarzman.

Also expected to attend are executives from major companies including Citigroup, GE Aerospace, Goldman Sachs, Mastercard, Meta Platforms, Micron Technology, Qualcomm and Visa.

Chuck Robbins was invited by the White House but reportedly could not attend because of the company’s earnings schedule.

Meanwhile, companies such as General Motors, Disney and Alphabet were not listed among the attending firms despite their significant business interests in China.

What Trump hopes to achieve from China visit?

Trump has described the economic relationship with China as highly profitable for the United States. Speaking to reporters last week, he said America was “doing a lot of business with China and making a lot of money".

The summit is expected to focus on maintaining economic stability between the two countries while managing growing disagreements in technology and global politics.

Reports say that only modest policy announcements are expected. However, China may announce plans to purchase American soybeans, beef and Boeing aircraft as part of efforts to keep trade ties stable.

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