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By Open Chronicle with agencies
Tim Cook will join a delegation of leading American business executives accompanying Donald Trump during this week’s official visit to China, according to reports citing White House officials.
The trip, scheduled from May 13 to 15, is expected to focus heavily on trade tensions, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, supply chains and broader geopolitical disputes between Washington and Beijing.
Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing later this week during what officials describe as one of the most significant diplomatic meetings of the year.
Major Business Leaders Joining Delegation
According to The New York Times, more than a dozen major U.S. corporate leaders are expected to participate in the delegation.
The reported list includes executives from some of the world’s largest financial, technology, manufacturing, and aerospace companies, including:
• Apple
• BlackRock
• Blackstone
• Boeing
• Goldman Sachs
• Tesla
• Qualcomm
• Visa
• Meta
• Micron Technology
According to the NYT, the delegation list includes:
- Tim Cook of Apple
- Larry Fink of BlackRock
- Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone
- Kelly Ortberg of Boeing
- Brian Sikes of Cargill
- Jane Fraser of Citi
- Jim Anderson of Coherent
- Larry Culp of GE Aerospace
- David Solomon of Goldman Sachs
- Jacob Thaysen of Illumina
- Michael Miebach of Mastercard
- Dina Powell McCormick of Meta
- Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron
- Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm
- Elon Musk of Tesla
- Ryan McInerney of Visa
The White House had initially included Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on the list, though the company later confirmed he would not attend.
Tim Cook’s Presence Seen as Politically Significant
Cook’s attendance has drawn particular attention because of his complicated relationship with Trump during recent years.
Reports indicate Trump was irritated after Cook declined to join the president during a previous trip to the United Arab Emirates last year.
Shortly afterward, Trump publicly threatened to impose a 25% tariff on iPhones not manufactured in the United States, a move some observers interpreted as retaliation directed toward Apple and its CEO.
Cook’s decision to participate in the China visit is therefore widely viewed as an effort to avoid renewed tensions with the White House while maintaining Apple’s global political and business relationships during a sensitive period for the company.
China Remains Critical for Apple
The visit comes at a particularly important moment for Apple, whose manufacturing operations and supply chains remain deeply tied to China despite ongoing diversification efforts into countries such as India and Vietnam.
China also remains one of Apple’s largest consumer markets.
At the same time, tensions between Washington and Beijing over technology, trade restrictions, and semiconductor controls have increasingly complicated the operating environment for American firms.
Analysts say Apple’s participation in the trip highlights the delicate balancing act major U.S. corporations face between maintaining access to China’s economy while navigating growing political pressure in Washington.
Trade, AI, and Taiwan Expected to Dominate Talks
Officials familiar with preparations for the summit say Trump and Xi are expected to discuss a wide range of sensitive issues, including tariffs, artificial intelligence governance, rare earth minerals, Taiwan, and the broader strategic rivalry between the world’s two largest economies.
The presence of top corporate leaders suggests economic and business concerns will play a central role in the discussions.
The summit is also expected to shape the future direction of U.S.-China relations at a time of mounting global instability and intensifying geopolitical competition.