Musk and Cook enter China diplomacy

Washington has widened the corporate stakes around President Donald Trump’s China visit by inviting Elon Musk and Apple chief executive Tim Cook to join a business delegation accompanying him to Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping.

The trip, scheduled around high-level meetings on May 14 and 15, is being shaped as a test of whether the world’s two largest economies can stabilise a relationship strained by tariffs, technology controls, rare earth supplies, Taiwan, Iran and competition in artificial intelligence. The presence of Musk and Cook gives the visit a sharper commercial edge, placing two executives with deep exposure to China at the centre of a diplomatic effort that could influence manufacturing, electric vehicles, smartphones, aviation and capital flows.

Musk’s inclusion carries particular significance because Tesla remains heavily tied to China through its Shanghai Gigafactory, one of the company’s most important production hubs. China is also a decisive market for electric vehicles, autonomous-driving regulation and battery supply chains. Any easing of regulatory friction or improvement in political tone could help Tesla at a time when competition from BYD and other mainland manufacturers has intensified across price segments.

Cook’s participation reflects Apple’s continuing reliance on China as both a manufacturing base and a consumer market. Although Apple has expanded assembly in countries such as Vietnam and India, its most sophisticated production ecosystem remains centred on China, where suppliers, logistics networks and skilled manufacturing capacity are difficult to replicate at scale. Apple also faces pressure from local smartphone rivals, changing app-store rules and Beijing’s wider push for domestic technology resilience.

Trump’s delegation is expected to be smaller than the large corporate entourage that accompanied him during his 2017 China visit. That narrower list reflects caution inside the administration over how far business diplomacy should shape negotiations with Beijing. Trade officials have been keen to avoid any perception that strategic disputes over technology, export controls and supply chains are being reduced to company-level dealmaking.

Boeing is likely to be another central player in the visit. China has not placed a large order for Boeing aircraft since 2017, and a deal involving hundreds of 737 MAX jets has been under discussion. Such an agreement would give Trump a high-profile commercial outcome while helping Boeing rebuild momentum in a market where Airbus has strengthened its position.

Financial and industrial executives are also expected to feature in the wider delegation, with BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg and senior figures from major manufacturing and services groups among those linked to the visit. Their participation underlines how the summit is being pitched not only as a geopolitical meeting but also as a platform for managed commercial engagement.

Rare earths are expected to be among the most sensitive subjects. China dominates processing of several minerals essential for electric vehicles, defence systems, wind turbines, semiconductors and consumer electronics. Washington has been trying to reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains, while Beijing has used export licensing and supply controls as leverage in wider trade disputes.

Artificial intelligence and advanced chips are also likely to remain difficult areas. Washington has tightened controls on high-end semiconductors and chipmaking tools, arguing that advanced technology should not strengthen China’s military capabilities. Beijing has pushed back against those restrictions and has accelerated efforts to build domestic alternatives. The decision not to include Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang in the travelling group points to the sensitivity of chip diplomacy.

For Trump, the Beijing meetings offer a chance to present himself as a dealmaker capable of extracting commercial gains while managing strategic competition. For Xi, the visit provides an opportunity to demonstrate that China remains indispensable to global companies despite years of tariffs, sanctions and supply-chain diversification.

The political risks are considerable. Musk’s business interests in China have drawn scrutiny because Tesla depends on regulatory approvals, market access and manufacturing continuity there. Cook faces a different challenge: protecting Apple’s operating model while avoiding deeper entanglement in political disputes over technology, privacy, security and industrial policy.