For Beijing, a CEO delegation was meant to be a diplomatic deliverable – proof that improving ties could translate into commercial access for Chinese firms, he said.
China had framed the delegation as a matter of reciprocity after US executives including Huang and Cook joined Trump on Air Force One for his visit to Beijing in May, the SCMP reported yesterday.
During that visit, Trump introduced the US executives to Xi one by one, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang met them separately, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Washington, Lin said, treated attendance as a matter of security clearance.
In January 2025, the Pentagon added CATL, one of the firms reportedly under consideration for Xi’s business delegation, to its list of companies it says are linked to China’s military – a designation the battery maker has disputed.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a source, that US officials did not want Chinese firms they believe have links to China’s military to be represented. Another source said the White House had other priorities.
