Semafor reports that Tim Cook is among the CEOs likely to be invited on an upcoming trip to China. His departure could shape his remaining months as Apple CEO. Here are the details.
A trip Cook may not want to skip
As reported SemaforThe Trump administration plans to invite, among others, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, for a trip to China next week.
The list would also include CEOs from Exxon, Boeing, Blackstone, Citigroup and Visa, “and is likely to grow in the coming days as CEOs vie for invitations,” says Semafor.
Although the details of the trip are still being worked out, it will likely involve at least some discussions around AI, as the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that the United States and China are considering formal negotiations “as their AI competition threatens to become the arms race of the digital age.”
Semafor also said that President Trump discussed the upcoming trip to China with leaders he met recently, suggesting he expects to see them in Beijing.
Inviting CEOs on foreign trips is a familiar part of Trump’s second term. Last year, his visits to the United Kingdom, Japan and the United Arab Emirates also included meetings with business leaders.
As for Apple, Tim Cook declined Trump’s invitation to join him in the United Arab Emirates, a move that reportedly strained his relationship with the president.
During the trip, Trump appeared to directly denounce Cook’s absence, telling Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during a speech in Riyadh: “Tim Cook is not here, but you are.”
He then threatened to impose 25% tariffs on iPhones not made in the United States, which the New York Times reported was probably a reward for Cook for skipping the delegation.
It remains to be seen whether Cook will accept the invitation this time. Apple remains very dependent on China, and not going there could be interpreted as a snub by Washington and Beijing at a time when iPhone sales in the country are rebounding.
Additionally, Apple confirmed that Cook will remain involved in dialogue with policymakers around the world as executive chairman. So this could also be a way to signal to Trump and Xi that nothing will change on this front after the CEO transition.
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