The White House has confirmed that Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook will be part of a high-profile business delegation joining President Donald Trump on a state visit to China scheduled for May 13-15. The trip centers on meetings with President Xi Jinping, with a focus on securing commercial deals and procurement agreements across major industries.
They won’t be traveling alone. The delegation reads like a Fortune 500 guest list, with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon also confirmed as attendees. China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit on May 11.
The dealmaking delegation
Musk’s inclusion is arguably the most interesting name on the list. Tesla has significant manufacturing operations in China, including its Shanghai Gigafactory, which makes the automaker deeply dependent on the US-China relationship functioning smoothly.
Cook’s presence follows a similar logic. Apple assembles the vast majority of its products in China, and any disruption to that supply chain would ripple through the company’s bottom line and, by extension, through the broader tech sector.
Then there’s Fink and Solomon, representing the financial heavyweights. BlackRock manages trillions in global assets, and Goldman Sachs has spent years building out its presence in Chinese markets.
A familiar playbook
This isn’t Trump improvising. During his first term, Trump brought a similar corporate entourage to Beijing in 2017. That visit resulted in over $250 billion in deals, at least on paper.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry’s confirmation of the visit on May 11 suggests Beijing is equally invested in the optics.
What’s not on the agenda
Notably absent from any discussion of the delegation’s activities: crypto assets, blockchain firms, or anything related to digital currencies. The agenda appears squarely focused on conventional industries.
Bitcoin was trading at approximately $1,079 as of May 11, with no significant market reaction following the announcement of the visit. This summit isn’t about digital assets. It’s about physical supply chains, factory floors, and the kind of bilateral commerce that moves container ships, not blockchains.
Investors in traditional markets, particularly those with exposure to companies represented in the delegation, should watch closely for any announcements that emerge from the May 13-15 window. The real signal will be in the details: whether any agreements address the semiconductor restrictions, tariff structures, or market access barriers that have defined US-China economic tension in recent years.