Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has unexpectedly joined U.S. President Donald Trump’s high-profile delegation to China, following initial reports that he was not part of the official business contingent. Huang’s inclusion comes as President Trump prepares for critical meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, aimed at addressing various trade and economic issues between the two global powers.

Sources indicate that President Trump personally extended an invitation to the Nvidia executive after observing media coverage highlighting Huang’s absence from the initial list of delegates. Following the direct outreach, Huang reportedly traveled to Alaska to board Air Force One, joining the presidential entourage mid-journey. A spokesperson for the chip giant confirmed Huang’s participation, stating he is attending the summit “at the invitation of President Trump to support America and the administration’s goals.”

The presence of a key technology leader like Huang underscores the significant role of the tech sector in U.S.-China relations, particularly amidst ongoing tensions over trade and technology transfer. President Trump has publicly stated that a primary objective of his discussions with President Xi will be to advocate for greater market access for American businesses in China. In a social media post, Trump confirmed Huang’s presence on the presidential plane and refuted earlier claims of a lack of invitation, emphasizing his desire for China to “open up” for U.S. companies.

Nvidia’s advanced chips, crucial for training sophisticated artificial intelligence models, have been at the center of tighter U.S. export restrictions to China over recent years. While U.S. government-approved versions of these chips exist, their entry into the Chinese market has faced delays. These restrictions have spurred China to accelerate its own domestic chip development and create AI models, such as DeepSeek, to reduce reliance on foreign technology. Despite these efforts, a recent official Chinese Communist Party journal highlighted that local companies have experienced slower development due to U.S. chip restrictions, acknowledging Nvidia’s continued dominance in the global graphics processing unit market. Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez noted the positive aspect of Huang’s presence in the delegation, despite the complex and distant prospects for a resolution on export controls.