Elon Musk, Rubio, Hegseth Among Key Figures Accompanying Trump To China For Summit With Xi

Last Updated:May 14, 2026, 07:46 IST

Donald Trump arrived in China with senior officials, business leaders including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang, and members of the Trump family for high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping.

US President Donald Trump arrived in China for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping, accompanied by senior administration officials, prominent American business leaders and members of the Trump family, according to a report by The New York Times.

The summit, expected to shape the next phase of US-China relations, comes as both countries attempt to preserve a fragile trade truce while also discussing contentious geopolitical issues, including the Iran conflict, Taiwan and technology restrictions.

According to Reuters, Trump’s China visit has gained added significance amid declining approval ratings linked to the Iran war and growing economic pressures at home.

Reuters reported that Trump is seeking economic gains while also trying to maintain stability in ties with Beijing.

WHO IS TRAVELLING WITH TRUMP

The New York Times reported that Trump’s entourage includes top cabinet officials, CEOs from some of America’s largest corporations and members of his family.

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS

• Marco Rubio – US Secretary of State
• Pete Hegseth – US Defence Secretary
• Scott Bessent – US Treasury Secretary

BUSINESS LEADERS

• 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
• Jensen Huang of Nvidia
• Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm
• Elon Musk of Tesla
• Ryan McInerney of Visa
• Trump’s family members
• Eric Trump
• Lara Trump

The New York Times also reported that film producer and director Brett Ratner was spotted aboard Air Force One and shared a social media post showing a welcome note for the trip.

VISIT BY RUBIO, HEGSETH DRAW ATTENTION

The New York Times highlighted that Rubio’s participation is notable because China imposed sanctions on him in 2020 over remarks concerning Beijing’s human rights record.

The report also noted that Hegseth would become the first sitting US defence secretary to visit China since former Defence Secretary Jim Mattis travelled there in 2018.

Treasury Secretary Bessent, meanwhile, had recently met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in South Korea before the summit.

Reuters separately reported that Rubio told Fox News aboard Air Force One that it was in China’s interest to help resolve the Iran crisis because many Chinese ships remain stuck in the Persian Gulf.

Any slowdown in the global economy would negatively affect Chinese exports.

TRADE, AI, IRAN AND TAIWAN ON THE TABLE

According to Reuters, Trump and Xi are expected to discuss trade and investment frameworks, artificial intelligence cooperation, rare earth supplies and export controls related to semiconductors and chipmaking equipment.

Reuters also reported that Washington is looking to expand exports of Boeing aircraft, agricultural products and energy supplies to China in an effort to reduce the trade deficit.

Beijing, meanwhile, is expected to push for easing US restrictions on advanced semiconductor and chipmaking technology exports.

Taiwan is also expected to feature prominently in the talks.

Reuters reported that China reiterated its opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, including a proposed $14-billion package still awaiting Trump’s approval.

News world Elon Musk, Rubio, Hegseth Among Key Figures Accompanying Trump To China For Summit With Xi

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