Trump to Visit China This Week Accompanied by Major U.S. CEOs Amid Iran War and Trade Tensions
White House says top executives from Apple, Tesla, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, and Meta will join U.S. delegation to Beijing
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to travel to Beijing this week for a high-level summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid growing geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran war, global trade instability, and disputes over technology and energy security.
According to U.S. media reports and White House officials, the visit is scheduled for May 14–15, 2026, and will include one of the largest delegations of American business leaders to accompany a U.S. president on an overseas trip in recent years.
U.S. media reports that a White House official said on Tuesday the following CEOs are expected to join the U.S. delegation to China:
- Apple CEO Tim Cook
- BlackRock CEO Larry Fink
- Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman
- Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg
- Cargill CEO Brian Sikes
- Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser
- Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins
- GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp
- Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon
- Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach
- Meta executive Dina Powell McCormick
- Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra
- Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon
- Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
- Visa CEO Ryan McInerney
The visit comes as the Trump administration increasingly seeks Chinese cooperation regarding Iran, maritime stability in the Strait of Hormuz, and broader regional de-escalation efforts.
Reuters reported that the summit is also expected to focus heavily on:
- Trade and tariffs
- Technology restrictions
- Artificial intelligence competition
- Semiconductor supply chains
- Rare earth exports
- Energy security
- Taiwan tensions
The trip follows months of heightened global instability linked to the Iran war, which has disrupted energy markets and increased pressure on international shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
China remains one of the world’s largest buyers of Iranian oil and has recently increased diplomatic activity regarding mediation efforts involving Tehran.
At the same time, the presence of top American corporate leaders highlights growing efforts by major U.S. firms to secure:
- Market access in China
- Regulatory approvals
- Technology cooperation
- Supply chain stability
- Expanded financial operations
Several participating companies continue facing export restrictions, geopolitical tensions, and growing competition linked to U.S.-China relations.
The summit is expected to be closely watched internationally as both Washington and Beijing attempt to manage rising strategic competition while simultaneously dealing with global economic uncertainty and instability across the Middle East.