Chinese President Xi Jinping is reportedly planning to bring a large delegation of Chinese business leaders to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on the 24th. The specific names of the attendees have not been disclosed, but the potential messages China may convey during the summit can help outline the likely participants.
China's messages are expected to focus on three main points: increasing purchases of U.S. products, investing in the U.S., and expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI).
The first message is likely to include financial representatives. China has recently increased its purchases of U.S. Treasury bonds. Reuters reported on the 4th that Chinese commercial banks have expanded their U.S. Treasury bond purchases in recent months. This is due to rising U.S. Treasury yields and declining bond yields in China, making dollar assets more attractive for investment.
As a result, Xi's 'U.S. purchasing delegation' may include leaders from major state-owned banks such as Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Notably, Bank of China is a symbol of international finance and dollar operations among Chinese financial institutions, while ICBC's size as the world's largest bank carries its own message.
There is also a high likelihood that COFCO, China's largest state-owned food company, which is responsible for increasing purchases of U.S. soybeans, will be part of the delegation. CEOs from PetroChina and Sinopec, which can purchase crude oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas) from the U.S., are also expected to attend. Additionally, leaders from Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, which may purchase Boeing aircraft, as well as the chairman of AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China), which buys aircraft engines, are strong candidates.
The second message is about investing in the U.S. Potential candidates include Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, and Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL, the world's leading battery manufacturer.
Currently, the U.S. has imposed restrictions on imports of Chinese electric vehicles and batteries, and investments from Chinese companies into the U.S. are also limited. However, investments from Chinese firms can create jobs and production facilities in the U.S., making them attractive to American interests. Notably, during the U.S.-China summit in May, an agreement was reached to establish a U.S.-China Investment Committee to discuss investments by companies from both countries. While President Trump is generally positive about Chinese investments in the U.S., there is significant caution among U.S. lawmakers. Xi is expected to take steps to alleviate these concerns during his visit.
The third message pertains to AI. Potential candidates include Zhang Yiming, founder of ByteDance, Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, and Tencent Chairman Pony Ma. The U.S. and China are preparing for their first official AI safety dialogue in mid-September. This meeting will focus on the risks of AI being misused for cyberattacks and will involve discussions on information sharing and autonomous safety management between AI research institutions in both countries. If CEOs from Chinese AI companies accompany Xi, it would effectively convey the message that China is not only interested in competing with the U.S. in AI but is also ready to cooperate in safety and technology.
What President Trump needs is not grand promises from China but tangible numbers that can be explained as achievements within the U.S. If China selects business leaders who can provide those numbers to the White House, the 'business delegation' itself could become a significant diplomatic card during the summit.
Meanwhile, during his visit to China in May, President Trump was accompanied by 16 business leaders, including Jensen Huang of NVIDIA, Elon Musk of Tesla, and Tim Cook of Apple. These leaders briefly attended the meeting at the Great Hall of the People during the U.S.-China summit to greet high-ranking Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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