▲ The leaders of the US and China and their spouses cross paths at Andrews Air Force Base on September 23 (local time).
While business leaders who were initially rumored to accompany Chinese President Xi Jinping on his visit to the United States were nowhere to be seen, a large number of officials in charge of economic and trade policies were included in his entourage.
According to Taiwan's United Daily News and Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao, when President Xi arrived at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of September 23 (local time), the observed entourage included Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party who serves as chief of staff, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who oversees foreign policy, alongside the heads of major economic ministries.
Tang Fangyu, director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission; Lan Fo'an, Minister of Finance; and Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, were seen stepping off the presidential aircraft one by one through TV broadcasts and other media.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who arrived in the US ahead of President Xi to conduct preliminary economic and trade consultations, also greeted President Xi at Andrews Air Force Base.
Previously, Reuters reported that executives from major companies such as BYD, CATL, and Xiaomi were likely to accompany President Xi on his visit to the US.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) also raised the possibility of Chinese business figures accompanying him, predicting it could mirror the format seen last May when a large contingent of American business leaders accompanied President Trump on his visit to China.
However, even after President Xi's arrival in the US, the existence of the previously discussed large-scale business delegation has not been officially confirmed.
That said, the Chinese side has not yet released the full roster of the entourage.
Citing sources on September 23, SCMP reported that disagreements between the US and China regarding announcements related to Chinese corporate investments in the US served as an obstacle in forming the business delegation.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported that President Xi was unlikely to bring along Chinese business figures, noting that this has dampened expectations for large-scale business deals to be announced on the occasion of this summit.
During a regular briefing, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to a question regarding whether a business delegation was accompanying the president by stating that it had "no relevant information."
Thus far, officials handling economic policy, finance, and trade affairs appear to be taking center stage rather than a large business delegation during President Xi's US visit, drawing keen attention to how economic issues such as trade and investment will be handled at the summit.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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