Donald Trump is heading to China this week, and if his guest list is any clue, he wants to discuss technology with Xi Jinping. The US president will be accompanied by a delegation of top tech CEOs, including outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Other guests include Meta's newly appointed president Dina Powell McCormick, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, according to a White House official.
Notably absent is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who is close to Trump but criticized US restrictions on chip sales to China in an April interview, warning that a "loser mentality" could cost the US its edge in AI. Without the world's most important chip maker, a major semiconductor deal seems less likely, though an announcement from Micron is possible.
Apple's Tim Cook Brings Diplomatic Experience
In Cook, Trump likely sees a friendly, familiar face for high-stakes negotiations. Apple's iPhone 17 has been enormously successful in China, boosting the company's quarterly earnings to record highs. Apple still manufactures most of its products in China, though it has moved a significant percentage of operations to India and Vietnam. In Apple's announcement of Cook's retirement, the company highlighted his diplomatic skills, noting that his future responsibilities would include dealing with leaders around the world.
Tech Deals and AI Policy
Whether Trump's trip will foster a flurry of tech deals, as his Middle East visit did in May 2025, remains to be seen. While Trump showcases US business leaders as products of his hands-off innovation policy, his administration is taking cues from China's more stringent approach to AI. China requires AI companies to submit models for government review on security and political sensitivity grounds, prohibiting threats to national security and objectionable content.
In a similar vein, the White House is getting more involved in frontier AI labs. Trump is considering an executive order requiring AI companies to submit new models for White House review. The administration has already announced deals with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and xAI for national security reviews of their latest releases, conducted by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) under the US Department of Commerce.
Pentagon vs. Anthropic
The Pentagon's standoff with Anthropic continues in court over the startup's qualms about military usage and the bureau's designation of the company as a supply chain risk. Vice President JD Vance has requested that Anthropic not expand access to its powerful cybersecurity model Mythos beyond its initial list of partners, according to the Wall Street Journal.
