Fissures over US investments stall plans for Chinese business leaders to join Xi visit

Differences in opinion between the United States and China regarding potential business investments have hindered plans for Chinese business leaders to participate in President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to the US, according to sources. With Xi's arrival in Washington now just hours away, the delegation faces uncertainty due to unresolved disagreements over the Board of Investment and the prospect of Chinese investments in the US.

The investment forum, initially agreed upon during Xi's May summit with US President Donald Trump, remains a stalled deliverable. Despite the setback, a Chinese delegation is still expected to attend, with high-profile US business figures like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Apple board chair Tim Cook already confirmed to attend the state dinner at the White House.

Chinese firms such as BYD, CATL, and Xiaomi were anticipated to be part of the delegation, although the final decision on their participation had not yet been made as of the last report last week. The US has expressed mixed sentiments about Chinese car manufacturers potentially setting up manufacturing plants in the US, following statements by former President Trump.

Meanwhile, the White House maintains that national security concerns prevent a rollback of existing rules and tariffs on Chinese vehicles, which currently stand at over 120%. Both nations are still negotiating the terms of the 2025 Busan trade agreement, with progress made on a limited tariff-reduced trade mechanism. Unlike the last US visit by Xi in 2017, when no Chinese business executives accompanied him, this delegation may differ in participation levels, as Chinese leaders typically travel separately from the President.