Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla chief Elon Musk, and Blackstone’s Steve Schwarzman were among the notable guests at a gala reception and dinner in San Francisco for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The event, hosted by the U.S.-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, followed Xi’s summit with President Joe Biden. Other prominent CEOs in attendance included Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, Boeing’s Stan Deal, FedEx’s Raj Subramaniam, and Pfizer’s Albert Bourla, among others.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo represented the Biden administration, emphasising the remaining opportunities in the U.S.-China economic relationship. Xi, in his keynote address, posed the question of whether the U.S. and China are adversaries or partners, presenting a perspective different from Biden’s past characterisations.
Xi advocated for a partnership and a “win-win” relationship, contrasting the terms used by Biden. Notably, Xi announced that China would be sending pandas to the San Diego Zoo as a symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. The event showcased the mingling of business and political leaders during Xi’s U.S. visit.
