Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, along with Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, is set to join President Donald Trump's delegation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in China on November 18. However, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, who was initially expected to accompany them, may not attend due to recent allegations linking him to a Chinese spy.
On November 10, the South China Morning Post reported, citing sources, that Trump planned to include Musk, Miebach, and Huang in his delegation. All three accompanied Trump during his state visit to Beijing in May.
Huang's attendance has become uncertain after a woman he admitted to having an affair with was suspected of being connected to Chinese intelligence. Nvidia's board has initiated an independent investigation into Huang's relationship with the woman, while U.S. lawmakers are also looking into the possibility of her being a spy.
Given the ongoing congressional investigation and the surrounding allegations, analysts suggest it will be difficult for Huang to join Trump's delegation. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has strongly denied the spy allegations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang stated on November 9 that the claims of a 'Chinese spy' are baseless and intended to slander China.
Despite the controversy, Trump has publicly defended Huang, stating on November 9 that Huang told him he was unaware of the woman's alleged espionage activities. Trump expressed his trust in Huang, saying, "I will definitely take him with me," and added that he had not heard any claims of wrongdoing against him.
However, Trump indicated he does not plan to discuss the matter directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming meeting, although he acknowledged that Xi might raise the issue.
This APEC summit will mark Trump's third face-to-face meeting with Xi this year, following Trump's visit to China in May and Xi's trip to Washington in September.
Separately, the APEC CEO summit, which will take place on November 17-18, is expected to see lower participation from U.S. companies than anticipated. Concerns about the feasibility of achieving tangible outcomes at the event are cited as a primary reason for this reluctance. Additionally, logistical issues, such as securing hotel accommodations, have been raised. The South China Morning Post previously reported that a lack of detailed information about the event's schedule and planned meetings led some U.S. CEOs to forgo attendance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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