https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/americas-most-powerful-ceos-dont-have-much-show-their-china-trip-so-far-2026-05-15/

Americas most powerful CIO’s don’t have much to show from their China trip so far

Summary:
Companies CEOs seek regulatory clarity, market access amid strained US-China ties
Boeing jet deal smaller than expected, Nvidia chip breakthrough remains elusive
Summit focused on goodwill, lacked deliverables by design

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 15 (Reuters) - With red-carpet treatment, selfies and culinary diplomacy, America's richest and most powerful executives - from Tesla's (TSLA.O), opens new tab ​Elon Musk to Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab Jensen Huang - sought to rekindle business ties with China this week at a leadership summit in Beijing.
But as ‌U.S. President Donald Trump flew out of Beijing on Friday afternoon, there was little clarity on what the summit delivered for the business delegation that was travelling with the president.

The presence of a group of some of the most powerful U.S. corporate leaders - representing companies like Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, Meta (META.O), opens new tab, Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab, Cargill and Goldman Sachs (GS.N), opens new tab - underscores the importance of the ​Chinese market, even as political leaders navigate strained ties over trade, artificial intelligence and broader geopolitical tensions.
Face-to-face meetings with Chinese officials and ​policymakers are crucial for U.S. executives seeking to understand and manage regulatory and policy hurdles, secure deals and expand their ⁠footprint in the world's second-largest economy.

Unlike the last U.S. presidential visit to Beijing early in Trump's first term in 2017, which featured a larger ​CEO delegation and deals and memorandums of understanding valued at $250 billion, the aim of this visit was to generate political goodwill, analysts said.
"Beijing never approaches a ​leadership summit of this sort from a purely transactional perspective," said Feng Chucheng, founder and partner at Hutong Research, a Beijing-based strategic consultancy. "I wouldn’t use the size of deals to measure the outcome of the summit."

“Its top priority is to find a mutually agreed 'floor' for the bilateral relationship and secure a set of guardrails to avoid uncontrolled, ​unexpected escalation."
It remains to be seen whether the positive vibes will help unleash regulatory approvals, market access and investment opportunities, as firms face broader operational ​challenges in China beyond commercial dealmaking.
Some executives plan to remain in China to continue meetings with officials after Trump's departure and more deal announcements could be revealed in ‌the coming ⁠days.

What does appear to have been already agreed upon - according to comments from Trump, though an official announcement is pending - is the purchase of 200 Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab jets.