Xi-Trump summit drew Chinese CEOs. So why couldn’t they get a seat at the table?

As American billionaires were honored at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, a group of Chinese business leaders were left on the sidelines. They had planned to attend the state dinner, but their invitations never materialized due to communication issues and differing views on reciprocity between Washington and Beijing.

The White House was uncertain about Chinese investments in the United States, while the Chinese side requested more information regarding planned meetings and official engagements. Despite China accepting the proposal in principle, the White House delayed addressing these inquiries, leading to the Chinese delegation being excluded from the event.

Over 130 high-profile guests attended the dinner, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Apple executive chairman Tim Cook. Only 19 Chinese business leaders were invited to the dinner, in stark contrast to the US delegation of four senior figures during Trump's May visit to Beijing. The Chinese delegation included executives from prominent firms like BYD, Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, and Xiaomi.

The lack of communication created confusion, with Beijing viewing it as a sign of Washington's reluctance to invite Chinese businesses. The two sides differed on what reciprocity entailed, with Beijing expecting senior business leaders to attend, while Washington only wanted government officials. Negotiations over potential Chinese investment deals also stalled, with the US administration seeking to address domestic concerns amid divided public opinion.

Despite Trump's openness to allowing Chinese carmakers to establish plants in the US, his administration struggled to reach an agreement with Beijing, leaving the issue unresolved just days before the summit.