Trump China trip: Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Larry Fink invited

The White House has invited Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, among other senior executives, to join President Donald Trump on his scheduled China trip on May 14-15. Reports say the invitations form part of an effort to include U.S. business leaders in high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Bloomberg and other outlets list additional invitees including Goldman Sachs' David Solomon, Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman and Citigroup's Jane Fraser, alongside senior figures from Boeing and other major firms. Officials conveyed the invitations directly, though availability and final attendance remain unsettled for some executives.

The agenda is expected to center on trade, technology (notably artificial intelligence) and export controls, areas where corporate leaders can have both commercial and regulatory stakes. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has signaled willingness to attend if invited, underscoring the strategic importance of semiconductor access and AI chip exports in U.S.-China discussions. Such corporate participation could influence policy signals around technology trade.

Beyond technology, the summit is framed around broader strategic issues—including Taiwan, export controls and rare earths—as well as bilateral trade deals that could benefit sectors like aerospace. Historically, leadership meetings have sometimes coincided with major commercial announcements, raising market expectations for potential aircraft orders or other large contracts during or after the summit. The trip is scheduled for May 14-15.

Market analysts say CEO participation is both symbolic and practical: it can spur short-term sectoral moves—especially in aerospace, semiconductors and large asset managers—while major deals will require formal confirmations. Investors will watch official communiqués and company statements closely; any concrete agreements announced during the visit could shift sectoral outlooks and capital flows in the near to medium term.