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Tech Titans Cook and Altman to Attend Trump’s State Dinner for Xi Jinping
Technology Services · Internet Software/Services · yonhap_finance · 2026-09-17
Apple's Tim Cook and OpenAI's Sam Altman are set to attend a state dinner hosted by President Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping amid high-level talks.
What Happened
High-Profile Attendance: Apple’s Tim Cook and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are confirmed to attend a state dinner hosted by President Trump for Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also expected to join the event, highlighting the significant presence of global tech leaders.
Chinese Delegation: Beijing is currently finalizing its economic delegation, with potential inclusion of companies like BYD raising eyebrows due to existing U.S. sanctions. The composition of this group is being closely watched as a signal of the current state of U.S.-China diplomatic relations.
Diplomatic Preparations: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are scheduled to meet to coordinate the summit agenda. Discussions are expected to cover not only the summit logistics but also preliminary talks on AI safety and governance.
Strategic Context: The dinner serves as a reciprocal gesture following the Beijing summit in May, aiming to address ongoing trade tensions and economic policy. Observers are keen to see if the gathering of corporate leaders will lead to any breakthrough in the strained bilateral relationship.