U.S. and Chinese officials are reportedly discussing the inclusion of Chinese business leaders in President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to the United States next month.
The South China Morning Post reported on August 28, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, that U.S. and Chinese authorities are considering including Chinese business leaders in Xi's delegation during his visit.
Xi is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on September 24. During Trump's visit to China in May, he was accompanied by CEOs from major American companies, including Tesla, Apple, NVIDIA, and Boeing.
Sources indicated that the decision on whether Chinese business leaders will accompany Xi has not yet been finalized, and there are conflicting reports regarding which side made the initial request. However, two sources noted that the Chinese side is keen on including business leaders, as many Chinese companies remain interested in investing in the U.S.
The discussions about the business delegation are linked to negotiations for the activation of the investment and trade committees agreed upon during the U.S.-China summit in May. The two countries are currently finalizing plans to reduce tariffs on non-sensitive industries and products by up to $30 billion (approximately 41 trillion won). There is also speculation that relevant Chinese companies could be included in Xi's delegation.
One source stated that including Chinese business leaders could help shift U.S.-China relations from confrontation to 'managed economic competition' and contribute to building relationships between businesses in both countries during the summit.
In advance of Xi's visit, discussions are also underway regarding the extension of the U.S.-China trade truce agreement signed last October in Busan. At that time, both countries agreed to a reduction in some U.S. tariffs on China, a halt to additional regulations on Chinese companies, a one-year suspension of certain export controls on rare earth materials, and enhanced management of U.S. soybean purchases and fentanyl raw materials.
Despite some recent retaliatory measures exchanged between the two countries, sources indicate that the likelihood of extending the Busan agreement is very high. However, while China prefers an extension until the end of Trump's term, the U.S. is seeking a one-year extension. Currently, a one-year extension appears to be the most likely outcome.
U.S. and China are reportedly focusing on managing related issues separately from the upcoming summit to ensure that conflicts over robotics, power inverters, and export controls do not affect the meeting.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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