Xi-Trump dinner puts US tech titans in spotlight – what does it mean for China ties?
If the American guests seated at the head table with President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at Thursday’s White House state dinner were any indication, Washington now views its relationship with Beijing largely through the prism of technology. Analysts said the seating arrangement underscored how tech industry titans driving the global AI infrastructure boom were pushing to draw the…
A state dinner held at the White House on Thursday featured President Xi Jinping seated alongside US President Donald Trump at the head table, where tech industry leaders took center stage. Notable attendees included Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Apple's Tim Cook, and Tesla's Elon Musk. These four executives, each commanding a combined net worth of over US$1 trillion, collectively held a combined market capitalization of over US$12 trillion.
Analysts noted that this seating arrangement highlighted how technology is becoming a key driver in shaping US-China relations, particularly through AI infrastructure development. The presence of these tech giants, whose operations in China have faced increasing US export restrictions, underscores the complex interplay between commercial interests and geopolitical tensions.
While the dinner provided an opportunity for tech industry leaders to lobby for broader Chinese market access, the absence of Chinese tech executives from the event highlighted the continued strain in bilateral ties and Beijing's push for technological self-reliance.
Written by urgent.news from SCMP Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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