WASHINGTON: A who’s who of American technology and business leaders is expected at the White House on Thursday (Sep 24) for United States President Donald Trump’s state dinner for Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – but who will represent corporate China remains far less clear.
Xi is in the US for a three-day state visit, reciprocating Trump’s trip to Beijing four months ago. He touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Washington on Wednesday night, receiving a rare personal airport welcome from the US president.
The Chinese leader will hold talks with Trump on Thursday before being treated to a state dinner at the White House. The trip wraps up on Friday morning with tea and a visit to the National Archives.
Xi is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, as well as a delegation of senior officials including his de facto chief of staff Cai Qi and foreign minister Wang Yi, state news agency Xinhua reported.
However, it remains unclear whether any of China’s corporate heavyweights are part of the visit, despite weeks of speculation.
Reuters reported on Sep 18 that Washington and Beijing were finalising the line-up of Chinese business leaders.
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, smartphone maker Xiaomi, battery giants CATL and Gotion, as well as consumer electronics manufacturer Hisense and state-owned Bank of China were among the companies under consideration, Reuters said, citing sources.
But on Wednesday, Reuters reported that Xi would visit Washington without a CEO delegation, citing people familiar with the matter. AFP separately reported, citing sources, that no Chinese CEOs were accompanying Xi on the trip.
Meanwhile, an unnamed source told US news outlet CNBC that they were not aware of any Chinese companies that have been invited to join Xi on his trip.
