WASHINGTON, United States — Some of America’s most prominent business executives, including Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk, are expected to accompany President Donald Trump to China next week for the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The report, published on Tuesday, November 10, says Musk and Mastercard chief executive Michael Miebach are expected to be part of the US delegation. Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had also been in discussions about joining, but his attendance is now uncertain amid a controversy that has prompted Nvidia’s board to investigate whether he was targeted in a foreign intelligence effort.

APEC Meetings Set For Shenzhen

The 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, while the APEC CEO Summit is due to take place on November 17–18. The dates are confirmed by the APEC Secretariat and China’s official government information service.

APEC’s 21 member economies account for a substantial share of global economic activity. The meetings bring together political leaders and business representatives to discuss trade, investment, regional connectivity, digital development and other economic priorities. China’s 2026 host-year theme is “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together.”

Skyline of Shenzhen, China, host city of the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting
Shenzhen, China, will host the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. Photograph: Wishds / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Why Musk’s Presence Matters

Tesla has significant manufacturing and sales interests in China. Its Shanghai Gigafactory is a major production base for the electric-vehicle maker, supplying vehicles to the Chinese market and to other markets. China is also home to some of Tesla’s strongest competitors in the electric-vehicle sector.

Musk’s participation could therefore place issues affecting electric vehicles, manufacturing, investment, supply chains and market access closer to the centre of discussions between US business representatives and Chinese officials. His presence would not, by itself, indicate that any agreement has been reached.

Miebach’s reported inclusion would bring the financial-services sector into the business delegation. Mastercard operates internationally in payments and financial technology, areas where cross-border commerce and regulatory conditions are important to companies doing business across the Asia-Pacific region.

Huang’s Attendance Uncertain As Nvidia Faces Scrutiny

Huang’s possible absence has drawn attention because Nvidia is a major supplier of advanced processors used in artificial intelligence systems and data centres. The company’s access to China has been affected by restrictions and licensing requirements imposed by both Washington and Beijing.

Reuters, summarising the SCMP report, said the uncertainty around Huang’s trip follows reports that prompted Nvidia’s board to investigate whether the chief executive had been the target of a foreign intelligence operation. The allegations and the circumstances surrounding them remain matters of investigation; they should not be treated as established findings.

The Associated Press reported that Nvidia’s board had launched an independent investigation and that the company said it had no reason to believe national security or company secrets had been compromised. The allegations have also been rejected by Beijing as unsubstantiated. Huang’s attendance at the APEC meetings has not been confirmed.

The semiconductor issue is commercially important. In its 2026 regulatory filing, Nvidia described how US export licensing and Chinese government restrictions had limited its ability to ship certain advanced products to Chinese customers. The company said the rules and approvals from both governments have made it difficult to serve China’s data-centre computing market with competitive products.

A Business Delegation With Strategic Significance

The expected participation of executives from Tesla, Mastercard and potentially Nvidia illustrates the close relationship between economic diplomacy and the commercial interests of major US companies. Their sectors — electric vehicles, digital payments and artificial intelligence computing — are all linked to global supply chains and cross-border regulation.

For the companies, the meetings could provide an opportunity to communicate concerns about market access, investment conditions, technology rules and trade policy. For the two governments, business participation may help identify areas where commercial cooperation is possible despite wider strategic disagreements.

However, the presence of corporate leaders should not be mistaken for evidence of an imminent trade breakthrough. The outcome will depend on discussions between the governments, the details of any announcements and whether existing policy restrictions change.

Trump said on Sunday, when asked whether Huang would join his trip, “I don’t know, but I’d certainly take him,” according to Reuters. That remark indicates openness from the US president, but it does not confirm the Nvidia chief’s participation.

What To Watch Next

Attention will now turn to the final composition of the US delegation and whether the APEC meetings produce concrete developments on trade, investment, artificial intelligence, semiconductor policy or electric-vehicle manufacturing. The official leaders’ meeting is scheduled for November 18–19 in Shenzhen.

Sources And Further Reading

Photo credits: Elon Musk photograph by Gage Skidmore and Shenzhen skyline photograph by Wishds, both via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Images are used with attribution. No photograph is presented as an image of the upcoming summit.