Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Joins Trump’s China Summit Trip in Push to Reopen AI Chip Market

TLDR

• Jensen Huang was added to Trump’s China delegation at the last minute after his absence was reported in the media
• Trump is meeting Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday and Friday, his first China visit in nearly a decade
• Nvidia has seen its share of China’s AI chip market fall sharply due to US export restrictions
• The business delegation includes Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg
• Trade negotiator Scott Bessent held separate talks with Chinese officials in South Korea ahead of the summit

Jensen Huang was not on the original list. The Nvidia CEO was left off the White House’s initial roster for Donald Trump’s China trip, even as other major tech and business leaders were confirmed for the delegation.

That changed during a refueling stop in Alaska. Huang was spotted boarding Air Force One on his way to Beijing, after Trump personally invited him at the last minute following media coverage highlighting his absence.

The trip marks Trump’s first visit to China in nearly a decade. He is scheduled to hold talks with President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday, with meetings planned at the Great Hall of the People and a state banquet on the agenda.

The CEO delegation traveling with Trump includes Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, and Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg. The group is largely made up of executives whose companies have unresolved business issues with China.

For Nvidia, those issues center on chip sales. US export restrictions have blocked the company from selling its most advanced AI chips in China, including the H200. Huang has said publicly that Nvidia’s share of China’s AI chip market has fallen sharply in recent years.

In its latest disclosures, Nvidia described its position in China’s data center market as effectively closed off, with Chinese competitors filling the gap left by the restrictions.

What Nvidia Wants From the Beijing Talks

Huang’s presence at the summit is more about positioning than immediate sales. Even if some restrictions ease, getting chips approved and shipped to China involves layers of regulatory hurdles on both sides.

Recent policy adjustments around products like the H200 have had limited commercial impact so far. Large reported order volumes have not translated into near-term revenue due to supply and clearance bottlenecks.

Trump’s stated goal for the trip is to ask Xi to “open up” China to US business. He posted on Truth Social that it would be his “very first request” in the meetings.

Trade Talks Running in Parallel

Separately, US trade negotiator Scott Bessent held around three hours of talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at South Korea’s Incheon airport. Neither side offered an immediate summary of those discussions.

The two sides are working to maintain a trade truce reached last October, in which the US suspended triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and China backed away from restricting exports of rare earth materials.

Washington also wants to sell Boeing aircraft, American agriculture products, and energy to China to help reduce the trade deficit. Beijing, for its part, wants fewer curbs on chipmaking equipment and advanced semiconductors.

Analysts say the Trump administration has more to gain from the summit than China does. Xi is not facing the same domestic political pressures as Trump, who heads into midterm elections in November.

China also reiterated its opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan. A $14 billion arms package is still awaiting Trump’s approval.

Whether the summit produces any concrete outcomes on chips, trade, or technology access remains to be seen. For Nvidia, even a marginal reopening of the Chinese market would matter — but the path to meaningful sales remains long.

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