Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are reportedly set to attend a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House next week during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States.

Bloomberg reported on the 16th, citing sources, that Chairman Cook will attend the event.

Cook stepped down as CEO earlier this month, but he is set to continue handling government relations regarding the White House and China.

OpenAI officially confirmed Altman's attendance.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also expected to join the event.

President Trump previously stated that President Xi and his wife will visit the U.S. on the 24th for a state dinner, which serves as a return visit for the Beijing summit held in May.

China is also considering the composition of President Xi's economic delegation.

Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that senior officials including Cai Qi, Director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party and member of the Secretariat who serves akin to President Xi's chief of staff, are discussing plans to include electric vehicle maker BYD in the entourage.

Sources said the criteria for selecting delegation members include ongoing business dealings with the U.S., loyalty to the Communist Party, and the ability to avoid distracting attention from President Xi, adding that the list has not yet been finalized and could change at the last minute.

Some observers note that if BYD founder and Chairman Wang Chuanfu successfully joins the delegation, it could be interpreted as a provocative signal.

This is because the U.S. imposes a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, effectively blocking their market entry, and BYD was placed on the U.S. Department of Defense blacklist last June over alleged ties to the People's Liberation Army.

BYD has strongly denied these allegations.

During President Xi's last state visit to the U.S. in 2015, chiefs of Chinese companies such as Alibaba's Jack Ma and Tencent's Pony Ma made up the delegation, leading to evaluations that the inclusion of the head of a U.S.-sanctioned company as a candidate this time differs significantly in tone.

Working-level coordination is also continuing ahead of the summit.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that he will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, this weekend to discuss matters related to the summit and hold preliminary talks on AI safety and governance.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)