US business leaders accompanying President Donald Trump on his state visit to Beijing will be given the opportunity to mingle with their Chinese counterparts at an exclusive international business club, according to sources.
On Monday, the White House released a list naming dozens of business chiefs accompanying Trump, including high-profile figures such as Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook.
Two sources familiar with the arrangement said the Capital Club Beijing had been reserved for “more casual” networking for the duration of the trip, which starts on Wednesday and ends on Friday.
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The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, said the club would allow business leaders and trade officials to mingle in a “less formal” setting than the official events involving Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
“We will see the members of the US business delegation flying in with President Trump interacting with their Chinese counterparts here in the next few days,” said one source on Tuesday.
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A second source said a state banquet on Thursday was expected to end around 8.30pm. “The night is still young. The business leaders from both countries will surely be happy to buy each other a drink and have a chat about their presidents’ meeting earlier that day.”