BEIJING, May 14 : Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called on top American business executives, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, to help sustain the “healthy development” of relations between China and the United States, as Beijing hosted a high-stakes summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump.
Addressing more than a dozen top American executives in Beijing, Li said both countries were capable of remaining “friends and partners” despite escalating geopolitical competition and trade tensions.
A group of 16 prominent US business leaders have accompanied President Trump to China for the summit.According to US officials, Trump plans to explore the formation of new investment and trade boards with China. The delegation reflects a broad cross-section of American industries, from technology and finance to aerospace and manufacturing.
The executives joining the delegation include: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has joined U.S. President Donald Trump’s trip to China, after initial indications the executive had not been invited.Tim Cook Apple, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Stephen Schwarzman (Blackstone), Kelly Ortberg (Boeing), Brian Sikes ( Cargill), Jane Fraser (Citi), Jim Anderson (Coherent), Larry Culp (GE Aerospace), and David Solomon (Goldman Sachs).
The group also includes Jacob Thaysen (Illumina), Michael Miebach (Mastercard),Dina Powell McCormick (Meta), Sanjay Mehrotra (Micron), Cristiano Amon (Qualcomm), Elon Musk (Tesla), and Ryan McInerney(Visa).
“Looking toward the future, China and the US are fully capable of – and should – continue to be friends and partners, achieving mutual success and shared prosperity,” Li said during the meeting attended by executives who accompanied Trump on his China visit.
The Chinese premier stressed that stable bilateral relations required efforts not only from governments but also from the business community and broader society.
“The healthy development of China-US relations requires both our governments to move toward each other, and also requires the joint efforts of all sectors of society to push it forward,” Li said.
The meeting came shortly after talks between Xi and Trump, which Chinese officials described as strategically important for shaping the future direction of bilateral ties. According to Li, the two leaders exchanged views on key concerns and provided “strategic guidance” for future China-US engagement.
Musk has come alongwith his six-year-old son, X A-Xii. The child, widely known by the nickname “X,” was seen accompanying the Tesla chief during the visit.
While trade and Taiwan is prominently discussed between Xi and Trump, the issue of Iran remained largely absent from the official Chinese readout of the meeting.
Ahead of the summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wanted Beijing to play a more proactive role in helping resolve tensions involving Iran and encourage Tehran to return to negotiations.
However, China’s foreign ministry statement on the Xi-Trump talks made only a brief reference to the “Middle East situation” without specifically mentioning Iran.
The United States has been seeking China’s assistance in persuading Iran to re-engage diplomatically, while Beijing has maintained a cautious approach, positioning itself as a quiet mediator without becoming directly entangled in the regional conflict. (UNI)
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