BEIJING/SEOUL, May 13 (Reuters) – United States President Donald Trump said he would urge China’s Xi Jinping to “open the market” for American companies during his trip to a summit in Beijing this Wednesday, and included Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s chief executive, in the group of CEOs accompanying him, after a stop in Alaska along the way.
Trump begins the first visit by a US president to China in almost a decade, eager to achieve some economic victories and regain popularity damaged by his war with Iran.
As Trump prepared for the pomp-filled ceremony, his chief trade negotiator, Scott Bessent, ended negotiations with Chinese officials in South Korea, with the aim of maintaining the fragile trade agreement between the world’s two largest economies, signed last year.
The CEOs who follow Trump come mainly from companies seeking to resolve trade issues with China, such as Nvidia, which has faced difficulties in obtaining regulatory authorization to sell its powerful H200 artificial intelligence chips in the country.
“I will ask President Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so these brilliant people can work their magic,” he said in a post on Truth Social, referring to the CEO delegation.
“I will make this my first request.”
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Trump invited Huang at the last minute to join the trip, said a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, and he was seen by White House reporters boarding Air Force One during a refueling stop in Alaska.
Asked about Trump’s publication, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Beijing is ready to “expand cooperation, manage differences and bring more stability and certainty to a turbulent world”.
Trump will arrive in the Chinese capital on Wednesday for two days of meetings with Xi, which will include a grand reception in the Great Hall of the People, a visit to the UNESCO-listed Temple of Heaven and a state banquet.
In addition to trade, the talks will touch on a range of sensitive issues, from the war in Iran to US arms sales to Taiwan, the democratically-ruled island claimed by China.
Trump is expected to encourage China to convince Tehran to reach a deal with Washington to end the conflict, although he has said he does not believe it would need the country’s help.
China on Wednesday reiterated its strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, with a $14 billion package awaiting Trump’s approval.
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The United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.
