Top US business execs invited to Trump's China trip
The Trump administration is inviting CEOs from Nvidia, Apple, Exxon, Boeing and other big companies to accompany the president on his trip to China next week, Semafor reported on Thursday. Executives from Qualcomm, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Visa are also on the invitation list, according to the report. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser was invited. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon will attend as long as the trip goes ahead as planned, said a source with knowledge of the matter. Reuters was not able to confirm the full list of companies invited, but a different source said several CEOs received invitations on Wednesday evening. In an interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said, "We should let the president announce whatever he decides to announce ... If invited, it would be a privilege, it would be a great honour to represent the United States." The White House, Apple, Citigroup, Exxon and Visa did not respond to requests for comment. Blackstone and Boeing declined to comment. The reporting comes as expectations swirl about possible deals during US President Donald Trump's visit next week to Beijing. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told Reuters in April the company was counting on the Trump administration to help unlock a long-awaited major order from China. China and the US plane maker have been in prolonged talks for a deal that industry sources say could include 500 737 MAX jets, plus dozens of widebody jets. It would be the country's first major Boeing order since 2017, and any announcement of the order would be viewed as a major win for the leaders' summit. (Reuters) Edited by Raymond Yeung