Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to bring a large group of Chinese business executives to Washington for his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
The planned delegation would mark an unusual move for Xi. The Chinese president rarely travels overseas with large groups of corporate leaders.
The September 24 summit comes as Chinese companies face growing scrutiny in the United States. Washington has also tightened restrictions on Chinese investment and technology.
According to one source, the business delegation could help signal Beijing’s interest in stronger commercial ties with the United States.
The move could also give the White House potential economic announcements ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
Xi rarely travels with business leaders
Xi’s planned delegation is notable because many Chinese business executives lost influence after Beijing launched regulatory crackdowns in several industries.
The campaign began in 2020 and targeted sectors including technology, education and property.
Reuters could not determine which executives will join Xi in Washington.
Xi last brought a large business delegation to the United States in 2015. The group included Alibaba founder Jack Ma, Tencent founder Pony Ma and executives from Chinese banks and state-owned companies.
During that visit, China signed a $38 billion deal for 300 Boeing aircraft.
Xi also met several major American technology executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Trump has used business delegations
Trump has taken a different approach during his dealings with China.
The U.S. president has traveled to China with large groups of American business leaders. He also brought a major business delegation during his May visit this year.
The delegation included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, according to sources familiar with the trip.
Scott Kennedy, a Chinese business expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Beijing appears likely to give business leaders a more deliberate role during Xi’s visit.
He said their participation could prove valuable during the summit.
Kennedy contrasted the expected Chinese approach with the U.S. delegation in May. He said Washington assembled that group quickly and described many of the executives as having a limited role in the discussions.
Summit expectations remain modest
The September summit comes as Washington and Beijing continue to manage difficult trade and investment relations.
The two governments established formal mechanisms to discuss trade and investment in May. However, sources said the summit may produce only limited economic agreements.
Chinese investment in the United States remains a particularly difficult issue.
Beijing and Washington also continue to disagree over which products should qualify as “non-sensitive” goods under a proposed trade arrangement.
Around 10 categories of goods remain under discussion. The list could change before Xi and Trump meet.
Rare earths and trade talks
The United States wants China to issue more rare earth export licenses for American companies.
Washington also wants Beijing to address concerns over China’s implementation of a trade agreement reached in Busan last October.
That agreement created a one-year trade truce and paused some tariffs and export restrictions.
China, meanwhile, continues to seek additional tariff relief from Washington.
China’s commerce ministry said in July that both countries were discussing reciprocal tariff reductions covering about $30 billion in products.
The United States later introduced a 10% global import tariff after the Supreme Court struck down China-related tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Thursday that Washington and Beijing will make announcements on agriculture and non-tariff barriers during the summit.
He did not provide further details.
Officials prepare for September summit
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet in early September.
Four sources told Reuters that the officials will discuss potential outcomes for the Xi-Trump summit.
The exact date and location of that meeting remain unclear.
With trade disputes, technology restrictions and investment concerns still unresolved, expectations for the September 24 summit remain cautious.
Still, the presence of a major Chinese business delegation could give the meeting a stronger commercial focus and provide both governments with an opportunity to highlight areas of cooperation.
