【AI前沿】Desperate Trump taps "Tim Apple," Jensen Huang, Elon Musk to attend Xi summit

Bringing the “magic”Desperate Trump taps “Tim Apple,” Jensen Huang, Elon Musk to attend Xi summitXi meeting may force Trump to pivot on chip restrictions and Taiwan.Ashley Belanger–May 14, 2026 7:00 am|183Donald Trump struck a trade truce with China’s President Xi Jinping last year.Credit:ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor | AFPDonald Trump struck a trade truce with China’s President Xi Jinping last year.Credit:ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor | AFPText settingsStory textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidthStandardWideLinksStandardOrange Subscribers onlyLearn moreMinimize to navDonald Trump has very little leverage heading into two days of meetings with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing this week, experts say.The thinking goes that Trump came into office with a plan that has since largely failed. He hoped to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, settle things down with Israel and Gaza, launch his Liberation Day tariffs, and quickly diversify US supply chains, all of which would have given him substantial leverage over China.But none of that happened, and instead, Trump’s escalations in Iran have only handed China even more leverage heading into talks, and Xi knows it.Unwilling to appear weak when negotiating with one of America’s most critical trading partners and fiercest adversaries, Trump invited executives of some of the biggest US tech firms to tag along.Among tech leaders joining Trump is Tim Cook, who Trump fondly calls “Tim Apple.” The Beijing trip will likely be Cook’s “final major diplomatic effort” as Apple’s departing CEO, EuroNewsnoted. Elon Musk will also be there, suggesting that Trump still values the SpaceX CEO’s input on foreign policy. And at the last minute, Trump confirmed that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang will also be attending, which Reuters noted could help Nvidiafinally convince China to start buying the high-end chipsthat Huang convinced the US would be safe to sell to China earlier this year.Scott Kennedy, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan think tank, recently spent two weeks in Beijing discussing US-China relations with Chinese officials and businesses. At a recent press briefing, he provided insights that could help explain why Trump may have hastily formed this tech gaggle ahead of the summit.Kennedy suggested that even though China has more leverage, both countries rely on each other at this pivotal moment in the AI race. Nvidia’s chips are peerless, Reutersreported, and access to China’s rare-earth exports is critical to leading US tech firms.In the week before the summit, the topic of AI was suddenly added to the agenda, Kennedy noted, with both countries interested in discussing how to manage AI risks afterChina blocked Meta’s acquisitionof a Chinese company called Manus.On Truth Social, Trump said it was an “honor” for tech executives to stand by his side in Beijing, while indicating that his hope was to convince Xi to “open up” China “so that these brilliant people can work their magic and help bring the People’s Republic to an even higher level!”Possibly, Trump invited the executives to remind China that it depends on US tech firms and can’t afford to push Trump too far.But that doesn’t guarantee China will be intimidated by Trump’s tech industry pals. Importantly, China has so far resisted buying Nvidia chips while prioritizing advancing chip tech at domestic firms in a bid to be less reliant on the US.Trump’s social media comments caused “deep concerns among China hawks in Washington,” Reutersreported. They’re worried that Trump will trade away too much, giving China a chance to beef up its military and catch up on AI.Chris McGuire, a senior fellow for China and emerging technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former official in the Biden administration, told Reuters that Huang’s invitation alone should raise eyebrows.“Any deal that allows Nvidia to sell more chips to ⁠China means fewer Nvidia chips for US firms, and a smaller US lead in AI over China,” McGuire said. “It is remarkable that President Trump keeps getting convinced to put Nvidia’s interest ahead of America’s.”China wants Trump to pivot on TaiwanChina’s top priority at the summit is clear: Xi wants to finally force Trump to discuss Taiwan.Historically, China has maintained that Taiwan is part of its territory. And the US has treaded lightly, helping Taiwan maintain its self-defense, while cautiously avoiding upsetting China by officially recognizing Taiwan’s independence.In the recent past, China has pressured the US to change the language it uses from “does not support” Taiwan independence to “opposes,” and it’s possible that Xi sees an opportunity to push Trump to make that symbolic change during the summit, experts suggest.For Taiwan, the language the US uses matters, as China might be more willing to take military action if Trump’s resolve to shield Taiwan remains uncertain.In anarticlecriticizing Trump’s inconsistent stan