Tech giants join Trump-Xi summit as trade and AI dominate US-China talks

Thursday 24 September 2026 - 10:47

By: Azzat Manal

Tech giants join Trump-Xi summit as trade and AI dominate US-China talks

U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday for a high-profile state visit expected to focus on trade, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, with leading figures from the American technology sector also set to attend a state dinner in Washington.

The White House said Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived for the official visit after Trump greeted them at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. Thursday's programme includes a formal arrival ceremony at the White House, followed by meetings and a state dinner hosted by Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.

The presence of prominent technology executives adds a business and innovation dimension to the visit. Expected guests include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell. Financial executives, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, are also expected to attend.

Their participation comes as artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important component of U.S.-China economic and strategic competition. Washington and Beijing are simultaneously seeking to expand their domestic AI capabilities while addressing questions surrounding advanced computing, technology exports, national security and the potential risks associated with increasingly powerful AI systems.

AI was already part of recent discussions between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Washington proposed considering a bilateral mechanism for notifying each other about significant AI safety incidents, although no formal framework had been established at the time of the talks.

Trade remains another central issue. Trump and Xi are expected to discuss the future of the existing U.S.-China trade truce, which has helped prevent another major escalation in tariffs while leaving several structural disputes unresolved. Critical minerals and rare earth elements are also high on the agenda because of their importance to the technology, automotive and defence industries.

China's position in global rare-earth supply chains has become particularly significant for American manufacturers. Restrictions on exports of some critical minerals have demonstrated how supply chains can become part of broader economic negotiations, while Washington continues to seek alternative sources and greater resilience for strategic industries.

The two governments are also dealing with wider disagreements, including Taiwan and technology restrictions. Reuters reported that the upcoming talks are expected to test whether the two sides can maintain a degree of economic stability while continuing to compete over technology, trade and geopolitical influence.

Xi's visit marks an important moment in the relationship between the world's two largest economies. The White House said the visit is the first by Xi to Washington in more than a decade, while the official programme includes diplomatic, cultural and ceremonial engagements before his departure on Friday.

The involvement of technology and financial leaders underlines the extent to which private companies have become closely connected to the broader U.S.-China economic relationship. From semiconductors and cloud computing to artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and critical minerals, decisions taken by governments increasingly have direct consequences for some of the world's largest technology businesses.