We're making a lot of money with China now
In a moment that blurs the line between statecraft and commerce, President Trump has traveled to Beijing with a delegation of America's most powerful corporate leaders, signaling that the world's most consequential bilateral relationship is being renegotiated not only in diplomatic chambers but in boardrooms. The visit, spanning three days in May 2026, reflects a broader human tension as old as trade itself: the desire for mutual prosperity set against the friction of competing interests, rival values, and unresolved grievances. Whether the pageantry of state banquets and temple visits can hold together a relationship strained by tariffs, Taiwan, and technological rivalry remains the defining question of this journey.
- Trump boards a plane to Beijing flanked by over a dozen Fortune 500 CEOs — a deliberate signal that this trip is as much about opening markets as managing geopolitics.
- Beneath the choreographed ceremony lies a tangle of unresolved tensions: a trade truce awaiting extension, Taiwan's status unaddressed, and US alarm over China's economic lifelines to Iran and Russia.
- Both governments are working to establish new bilateral structures — a Board of Trade and a Board of Investment — that could institutionalize cooperation across aerospace, agriculture, energy, and AI.
- Xi Jinping's expected reciprocal visit to Washington in 2026 suggests both powers are reaching for a multi-year framework, though whether goodwill can outlast the underlying rivalries remains deeply uncertain.
Donald Trump departed for Beijing on Monday with an entourage that made his intentions plain: the chief executives of Apple, Tesla, BlackRock, Boeing, and more than a dozen other American industrial giants. This was not diplomacy dressed in business language — it was business dressed in diplomacy.
From the Oval Office that morning, Trump projected confidence, posting to Truth Social that he was looking forward to meeting President Xi Jinping and predicting 'great things' for both nations. His tone was strikingly warmer than his first term, when trade wars defined the relationship. 'We used to be taken advantage of,' he told reporters, 'but now we are doing great with China.'
The three-day itinerary, confirmed by Beijing following Xi's formal invitation, was carefully staged for both symbolism and substance. A welcome ceremony, a private meeting with Xi, a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a state banquet — the schedule radiated pageantry. Yet the real work lay beneath the surface: discussions on extending the one-year trade truce, establishing US-China Boards of Trade and Investment, and advancing cooperation in aerospace, agriculture, energy, and artificial intelligence.
Harder conversations loomed as well. Taiwan would inevitably arise. So would Iran — Washington has grown increasingly concerned about Beijing's oil trade with Tehran and exports of dual-use technology that may benefit both Iran and Russia. These were not peripheral matters but questions touching the core of American strategic interest.
Most suggestively, White House officials confirmed that Xi and his wife are expected to visit Washington later in 2026 — a reciprocal gesture implying both sides see value in sustained, structured engagement. Whether the optimism on display would harden into lasting agreements, or whether the deeper tensions would resurface once the planes landed home, remained the open question hanging over the Pacific crossing.
Donald Trump boarded a plane for Beijing on Monday with an unusual entourage in tow: the chief executives of Apple, Tesla, BlackRock, Boeing, and a dozen other Fortune 500 companies. The message was unmistakable. This was not a diplomatic visit dressed up in business language. It was a business visit dressed up in diplomacy.
Trump had spent the morning in the Oval Office radiating confidence about the three-day journey ahead. He posted to Truth Social that he was "very much looking forward" to meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling China "an amazing Country" and predicting that "great things" would happen for both nations. In remarks to reporters, he struck a notably different tone from his first term, when trade wars with China dominated his presidency. Now, he said, the relationship was working. "We are doing a lot of business but it is mostly smart business," Trump said. "We used to be taken advantage of for years with our previous presidents, but now we are doing great with China, we're making a lot of money with China."
The delegation accompanying him read like a roster of American industrial power. Tim Cook from Apple, Elon Musk from Tesla and SpaceX, Larry Fink from BlackRock, Stephen Schwarzman from Blackstone, Kelly Ortberg from Boeing—the list stretched across technology, finance, defense, aerospace, manufacturing, and payments. In total, more than a dozen executives had been invited by the White House to participate in what officials framed as an opportunity to strengthen economic ties and explore investment possibilities. The presence of so many CEOs signaled that Trump intended to use the visit to open doors for American business in China, not merely to negotiate government-to-government agreements.
The itinerary, confirmed by Beijing on Monday following an invitation from Xi Jinping, was packed with symbolic and substantive moments. Trump would arrive on May 13 and be greeted with a formal welcome ceremony on Thursday morning, followed by a private meeting with Xi. The afternoon would include a visit to the Temple of Heaven, one of China's most historically significant sites. A state banquet would close the day. On Friday, the two leaders would share tea and a working lunch before Trump returned to Washington. The schedule suggested a relationship being carefully choreographed for maximum pageantry and minimum friction.
But beneath the ceremonial surface lay genuine complexity. Trade tensions remained unresolved. A one-year trade truce had been agreed to in October, and officials indicated that extending it would be on the agenda—though no final decision had been made. The two sides were also expected to discuss the possibility of establishing a US-China Board of Trade and a Board of Investment, along with cooperation in aerospace, agriculture, and energy. Artificial intelligence and critical minerals would feature prominently in conversations, reflecting the technological competition that now defines the relationship.
Taiwan would inevitably arise. So would Iran, a persistent point of friction between Washington and Beijing. US officials had made clear that Trump intended to raise concerns about China's economic ties with Iran, including oil trade and exports of dual-use technology that could benefit both Tehran and Moscow. These were not peripheral issues. They touched on America's strategic interests in the Middle East and its broader effort to contain Russian and Iranian influence.
Perhaps most tellingly, Xi Jinping and his wife were expected to visit Washington later in 2026, according to White House officials. The reciprocal visit suggested that both sides saw value in establishing a sustained dialogue, one that might extend beyond Trump's current term. Whether that framework would hold—whether the business optimism on display would translate into lasting agreements, or whether the underlying tensions would resurface—remained an open question as the presidential plane crossed the Pacific.
Citações Notáveis
Great things will happen for both Countries— Trump, on Truth Social about the upcoming visit
We are doing great with China, we're making a lot of money with China— Trump, speaking from the Oval Office
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why bring all these CEOs? Why not just send diplomats?
Because Trump is signaling that this visit is about money, not just geopolitics. When Tim Cook and Elon Musk walk into a room with Xi Jinping, it says something different than if a State Department official walked in alone. It says: we're serious about doing business here.
But aren't there real tensions? Trade wars, technology competition, Taiwan?
Absolutely. Those haven't gone away. But Trump seems to be betting that you can compartmentalize—that you can negotiate hard on trade while also creating space for American companies to make money in China. Whether that actually works is another question.
What about the Iran piece? That seems like it could blow up the whole visit.
It's definitely a pressure point. The US is worried about China selling oil and technology to Iran. But Trump is framing this as a business-focused trip, so he may raise it quietly rather than make it a public confrontation. The goal seems to be keeping the door open.
So this is really about 2026? About setting up a longer relationship?
That's what the reciprocal visit suggests. If Xi comes to Washington next year, it means both sides are trying to build something that lasts. But that only happens if the business delegation leaves with real opportunities and real deals.