Xi Plans Rare CEO Delegation for Washington Summit

A Xi Washington CEO delegation is being prepared for the Chinese president’s Sept. 24 summit as Beijing seeks to signal support for commercial and investment ties with the United States, Reuters reported.

Xi Jinping rarely travels overseas with large groups of corporate executives, and Reuters said it had not determined which business leaders would participate.

His last sizeable corporate delegation to the US was in 2015 and included Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Tencent founder Pony Ma.

The planned delegation could provide a symbolic boost to bilateral business relations, although expectations for major investment agreements remain limited because of continuing US scrutiny of Chinese investment and unresolved trade disagreements.

The two governments are discussing around 10 categories of “non-sensitive” goods.

The business presence at the summit could nevertheless provide companies with opportunities for engagement as both sides seek areas where commercial cooperation can continue despite wider strategic tensions.