By Ben Werschkul
Publication Date: 2026-05-13 11:06:00
Nvidia’s (NVDA) Jensen Huang was a late addition to President Trump’s trip to China this week. An initial list from the White House had not included the chipmaker, but the CEO joined the flight at a refueling stop for Air Force One at Anchorage International Airport on Tuesday night.
Elon Musk of Tesla (TSLA) was already on board, a White House official told the pool reporter traveling with the president.
Those two CEOs will be joined by 15 other top executives invited to join President Trump on his trip to China this week.
The president departed Washington on Tuesday for Beijing for a series of meetings set to last through Friday that will likely touch on issues like increasing AI communication and managing trade.
The list released Monday also included many CEOs with direct business in China. Kelly Ortberg of Boeing (BA) is set to be along for the trip as additional purchases by China of Boeing planes and engines are widely expected to be announced this week.
Likewise, agricultural giant Cargill will be represented by CEO Brian Sikes, with Chinese agriculture purchases also a topic of discussion.
The inclusion of Musk is also sure to garner intense focus after his high-profile fallout with Trump last year — even as the world’s richest man has appeared alongside Trump multiple times in recent months.
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