Trump-Xi state dinner: Why America’s biggest tech bosses will be at the table

When Chinese President Xi Jinping sits down for a state dinner with US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 24, the guest list will bring together some of the biggest names in American technology and business.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell and Apple executive chairman Tim Cook are among the technology leaders invited to the East Room dinner. Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser is also on the list, while JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is expected to attend, according to people familiar with the guest list.

The dinner comes on the sidelines of Xi’s first US state visit in more than a decade and as Washington and Beijing try to manage tensions over trade, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and rare-earth minerals.

Quick answers to key questions

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QUESTIONS

The main topics will include artificial intelligence, trade and tariffs, the semiconductor dispute, and issues related to rare earth minerals.

Tech CEOs are attending because their companies are at the forefront of U.S.-China competition in technology, trade, and AI, making their presence vital in discussions that affect their industries.

US restrictions on advanced chips are a critical issue as they aim to limit China's access to cutting-edge technology, directly affecting negotiations on technology and trade.

Yes, companies should be concerned as discussions on AI safety and regulations will likely influence the technological landscape and operational capabilities in both countries.

Rare-earth minerals are significant as they are crucial for technology and electronics, with China controlling much of the supply, making them a key point in trade negotiations.

The guest list reflects the growing importance of technology to the US-China relationship.

AI is expected to be one of the major subjects in Trump and Xi’s discussions. US and Chinese officials are also preparing for talks on AI safety, technology competition and the rules surrounding increasingly powerful AI systems.

The companies represented at the dinner sit across several sectors at the centre of US-China competition:

Nvidia: advanced AI chips and computing infrastructure

OpenAI: generative AI and foundation models

Google: AI, cloud computing and digital services

Apple: smartphones, consumer technology and supply chains linked to China

Tesla: electric vehicles and battery technology

Dell: computers, enterprise technology and data-centre infrastructure

Amazon: cloud computing, AI and e-commerce

Their presence puts executives from some of the world's most important technology companies in the room while Trump and Xi discuss precisely the issues that affect their industries.

AI could become the next major battleground

Artificial intelligence has added a new dimension to US-China competition.

Both countries are racing to develop advanced AI models, computing infrastructure and semiconductor capabilities. At the same time, Washington and Beijing are discussing AI safety and ways to maintain communication over the risks posed by increasingly powerful systems.

AI is also closely tied to the semiconductor dispute. US restrictions on advanced chips are designed to limit China's access to some cutting-edge computing technology, while Beijing has objected to what it sees as US efforts to constrain Chinese technological development.

The prominence of technology leaders at Trump's state dinner for Xi—including Nvidia's Jensen Huang, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Tesla's Elon Musk, Google's Sundar Pichai and Apple's Tim Cook—highlights the commercial importance of the issue.

The chip war is another reason the dinner matters

The technology executives are also closely connected to the semiconductor dispute between Washington and Beijing.

The US has imposed restrictions on China's access to some advanced chips and semiconductor technology, citing national-security concerns. China has objected to US technology restrictions.

For companies such as Nvidia, the policy decisions made in Washington can have a direct impact on access to the Chinese market and the global AI-chip supply chain.

Rare earths and supply chains

Rare-earth minerals are another major issue expected to feature during Xi's visit.

China has a dominant position in the processing of many rare earths and related materials used in electronics, and electric vehicles.

Washington wants reliable access to these materials, while Beijing is seeking relief from US technology and export restrictions. US officials have said they do not expect Washington to exchange its export controls for greater Chinese rare-earth supplies.

Trump called it a “very tough ticket”

The guest list itself has become a talking point for Trump.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said thousands of people would like to attend the dinner and joked that the event was a “very tough ticket”. He said he had told some friends they simply could not come.

The dinner will be held in the White House East Room, with Trump and Xi expected to deliver remarks.