President Donald Trump is heading to Beijing on May 14 with a corporate entourage that reads like a Fortune 500 all-star roster. Sixteen CEOs from American industry’s biggest names will accompany him for a two-day summit aimed at hammering out trade agreements across aerospace, energy, and agriculture.
It’s the first time a sitting US president has visited China since 2017.
Who’s on the plane
The delegation features some of the most recognizable names in American business. Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Larry Fink, and leaders from Boeing, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Qualcomm are all confirmed to be part of the traveling party.
The summit’s agenda reportedly spans trade deals, AI cooperation frameworks, rare earth mineral access, and thornier geopolitical topics including the Iran war and Taiwan.
The administration has signaled its intent to establish what it’s calling a “board of trade” and “board of investment” as part of the summit’s outcomes.
The inclusion of Qualcomm’s leadership is particularly notable given the ongoing semiconductor tensions between the two nations. And Larry Fink’s presence, as head of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, suggests that investment flows and capital market access will be front and center in the conversations.
The skeptics have a point
Oren Cass, a prominent industrial policy expert, has raised pointed questions about whether the US can realistically negotiate favorable terms given the fundamental economic asymmetries between the two countries.
China runs a massive trade surplus with the United States. It controls dominant shares of rare earth mineral processing. It subsidizes domestic industries at scales that American companies struggle to compete with.
Cass’s argument boils down to this: when American executives need access to China’s market and supply chains more than China needs any individual American company, the leverage equation tilts in Beijing’s favor.
History rhymes
The trip draws obvious parallels to Trump’s 2017 visit to Beijing during his first term, which produced a flurry of memoranda of understanding and commercial agreements. That visit eventually led to the Phase One trade deal signed in January 2020, which aimed to address the persistent US trade deficit with China through commitments on agricultural purchases, intellectual property protections, and currency practices.
The Phase One deal had a mixed track record. China fell short on many of its purchasing commitments, though agricultural imports did see meaningful increases.
This time around, the summit was originally planned for earlier in 2026 but got pushed back due to tensions related to the Iran war. China has been actively promoting warmer US ties through various media channels in the lead-up to the visit.
What this means for investors
The sectors represented in the delegation offer a roadmap for where investors should be paying attention. Aerospace companies like Boeing stand to benefit if new procurement agreements open up Chinese orders. Energy firms could see expanded export opportunities. Agricultural producers, who were among the biggest beneficiaries of the Phase One deal’s purchase commitments, will be watching for similar carve-outs.
The AI and rare earth mineral discussions carry particular weight for the tech sector. American chipmakers and AI companies have been navigating an increasingly complex web of export controls and supply chain dependencies.
The establishment of permanent “board of trade” and “board of investment” structures could be the most significant long-term outcome if it actually happens. The presence of Goldman Sachs and Citi in the delegation also raises questions about whether financial market access will be part of the package.
