Xi Jinping Tells U.S. Tech CEOs China Will 'Open Wider' as Trump Summit Addresses AI and Market Access

Chinese President Xi Jinping told a delegation of American technology executives accompanying President Donald Trump to Beijing that China's door to foreign business will "open wider," according to state-backed newspaper Xinhua, signaling a thaw in economic relations between the world's two largest economies.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Apple CEO Tim Cook were among the high-profile executives who traveled with Trump to China for the summit, held Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Trump introduced each executive to Xi individually, Xinhua reported.

"Xi said that U.S. companies are deeply involved in China's reform and opening up, and both sides have benefited from this," according to Xinhua. Xi further stated that China "welcomes the United States to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China, and expressed belief that U.S. companies will enjoy even broader prospects in China."

The White House appeared to echo that sentiment. "The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment," the White House said in a statement posted to X.

American executives at the meeting indicated their own appetite for deeper engagement. "The U.S. entrepreneurs said that they attach great importance to the Chinese market, and hope to deepen their business operations in China and strengthen cooperation with China," Xinhua reported.

George Chen, partner and co-chair of digital practice at The Asia Group, told CNBC that Xi's remarks carry weight beyond diplomatic optics. "I think the statement Xi made about opening up is not just for propaganda. China does need to remain attractive for foreign investments," Chen said.

Separately, Xi warned Trump that stability across the Taiwan Strait represents a shared interest for both nations. "Safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is the biggest common denominator between China and the U.S.," Xi said, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

Artificial intelligence featured prominently in the day's discussions. Both governments are pursuing AI development aggressively, even as Washington has sought to restrict China's access to advanced American chips. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that the two countries intend to collaborate on a safety protocol covering "best practices for AI to make sure non-state actors don't get a hold of these models."

The summit also coincided with a report that Washington had approved Nvidia to supply certain Chinese technology companies with the H200, one of the chipmaker's more advanced products. Bessent, asked about the report by CNBC's Joe Kernen, said: "This is news to me. I know there's been a lot of back and forth ... and we'll have to see on that. That's a commerce department function."

Huang, who was described as a late addition to the China delegation, declined to comment specifically on chip sales but characterized the day's proceedings in broad terms. "Today's morning ceremony was very uplifting. President Xi was very inspiring, very welcoming, and President Trump was very inspiring and very welcoming," Huang told reporters. He described the meeting as "one of the most important summits in human history."

Nvidia has operated under U.S. export restrictions limiting chip sales to China, and prior reports suggesting relief from those controls had not materialized in concrete policy shifts. China has also reportedly encouraged domestic companies to purchase semiconductors from local suppliers, complicating the picture for American chipmakers seeking re-entry into that market.

The Beijing summit comes at a moment when tensions over trade, technology, and Taiwan have weighed on bilateral relations for years, and the breadth of Thursday's agenda — from AI safety frameworks to market access commitments — signals that both governments are testing the boundaries of what renewed economic engagement might look like in practice.

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