New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Wednesday confirmed that he is travelling to Beijing aboard Air Force One alongside US President Donald Trump and several top American business leaders for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Musk revealed his participation in the trip through a post on X, writing, “On my way to Beijing in Air Force One.” His confirmation comes as a powerful delegation of leading US corporate executives heads to China in what is being viewed as a major diplomatic and economic outreach effort between the world’s two largest economies.

The American delegation includes more than a dozen senior business figures, with Musk and Jensen Huang among the most prominent names. The visit highlights growing efforts by US technology and industrial giants to preserve strategic business ties with China despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties.

The Beijing visit is especially significant as it marks the first trip by a sitting US president to China in nearly a decade. President Trump is expected to push for economic breakthroughs and stronger trade cooperation while also addressing mounting domestic political and economic pressures back home.

The summit carries particular importance for Nvidia, which continues to face challenges in obtaining approval to sell its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in the Chinese market amid tightening export restrictions and rising scrutiny over semiconductor trade.

Ahead of Trump’s arrival in Beijing, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly met Chinese officials in South Korea to discuss maintaining stability in the fragile trade agreement reached between Washington and Beijing last year.

Reports also suggest that the composition of the travelling business delegation underwent several changes from the White House’s initial plans. Earlier proposed lists reportedly featured executives such as Musk and Tim Cook, though additional corporate leaders were later included in the final delegation.

Underscoring the significance of the business contingent accompanying him, Trump took to Truth Social before the visit and praised the executives travelling with him.

“I will be asking President Xi, a Leader of extraordinary distinction, to ‘open up’ China so that these brilliant people can work their magic,” Trump wrote, signalling hopes for deeper economic engagement and expanded market access for American companies in China.

–IANS

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