Trump Recruits Fortune 500 CEOs for China Summit, Adding Nvidia's Jensen Huang to Air Force One
Updated
Updated · Fortune · May 18
Trump Recruits Fortune 500 CEOs for China Summit, Adding Nvidia's Jensen Huang to Air Force One
8 articles · Updated · Fortune · May 18
Jensen Huang joined Trump’s China summit delegation at the last minute, flying on Air Force One alongside other executives after the president personally arranged the trip.
Jane Fraser of Citigroup and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg are also in the group as Trump uses the Beijing visit to pursue trade deals and showcase a CEO-style, relationship-driven economic strategy.
Trump said that strategy relies on tariffs and government equity stakes to shrink trade imbalances and help address the $38 trillion national debt, even after a court ruling undercut part of his tariff agenda.
He pointed to a 9.9% Intel stake once worth about $10 billion and said China would announce a 200-plane Boeing purchase days after the meeting, framing both as proof of his interventionist approach.
The trip comes as markets stay strong but public confidence weakens—consumer confidence hit a record low in April, inflation rose to 3.8%, and Trump acknowledged his dealmaking model may not outlast him.
With a key Boeing deal faltering and tariffs legally challenged, can personal dealmaking truly solve America’s economic problems?
Did the Hormuz blockade to pressure Iran ultimately hurt the U.S. economy and strengthen China’s negotiating position?