Apple CEO Tim Cook has joined US President Donald Trump and several other top US executives Beijing, China to meet with that country’s President Xi Jinping. While Cook is vacating the top spot at Apple as of September 1, Trump personally invited Cook to accompany him, likely believing the Apple CEO’s experience in dealing with the Chinese will come in handy.
The trip is expected to last from May 13 to May 15. Trump’s visit to China is the first by a current US president in nine years.
The White House’s official reason for the trip is to facilitate business deals between US firms and China. Expected to be included in discussions during the group’s China summit include such subjects as AI, exports, trade, and the US war with Iran.
While Cook reportedly traveled to China separately from Trump, he has been spotted at the welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Other posts on social media show Cook walking with Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, and also briefly greeting reporters.
Top US CEOs—including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Jensen Huang—were spotted at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People as part of Trump’s delegation. pic.twitter.com/8LfS3j5ZsF
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) May 14, 2026
The Reason Behind Cook’s Trip to China
As has been proven in the past, if you turn down an ask by President Trump, there will be consequences. Trump can be a bit vindictive when he doesn’t get his way. However, it should be noted that Trump is certainly not the first US President to retaliate when he doesn’t get his way.
Cook once refused an invitation to accompany Trump on a trip, and later the President announced steep tariff increases that included Apple products, so Cook is certain to have considered Trump’s past actions when agreeing to make the China trip.
Who Else Accompanied Trump to China?
In addition to Cook, the following US executives made the trip to China:
- BlackRock, Larry Fink
- Blackstone, Stephen Schwarzman
- Boeing, Kelly Ortberg
- Cargill, Brian Sikes
- Citi, Jane Fraser
- Coherent, Jim Anderson
- GE Aerospace, Larry Culp
- Goldman Sachs, David Solomon
- Illumina, Jacob Thaysen
- Mastercard, Michael Miebach
- Meta, Dina Powell McCormick
- Micron, Sanjay Mehrotra
- Qualcomm, Cristiano Amon
- Visa, Ryan McInerney
China’s Xinhua news agency quotes the country’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as saying the Chinese government is willing to work with the US “in the spirit of equality, respect, and mutual benefit.”
