Trump Takes Musk on Asia Trip for Xi and Putin Summit, but Not Into the Room
President Donald Trump will take Elon Musk with him on next week’s trip to the Philippines and China, administration officials said, putting the world’s richest man at the center of a diplomatic journey that ends with a historic three-way meeting with the leaders of China and Russia. Musk, however, will not be in the room for that meeting.
A Four-Day Trip Ending in Shenzhen
Trump leaves Washington on Monday and arrives in the Philippines on Tuesday to meet counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to officials who previewed the trip on a Friday call with reporters. He travels on Wednesday to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where he will hold his third in-person meeting this year with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The trip’s centerpiece is a trilateral meeting on Thursday, November 19, with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin — the first three-way meeting of the three leaders. The White House confirmed the meeting on Friday, and spokeswoman Olivia Wales said nuclear arms reductions would be a chief topic. Officials said the leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Iran, while Russia’s war in Ukraine is not expected to be on the agenda. No separate meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled.
Musk, who leads SpaceX and Tesla, will accompany Trump to China but will not take part in the trilateral meeting or in Trump’s bilateral meeting with Xi. A senior U.S. official said those meetings would be for officials only. The administration also does not expect to bring a broader American business delegation; executives attending the APEC CEO Summit at China’s invitation would not be part of the official U.S. delegation.
Why Musk Is on the Plane
Administration officials described Musk as a valuable adviser because of his economic and national security interests, according to the Associated Press. His companies sit at the intersection of the trip’s biggest issues: SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system has been integral to Ukraine’s ability to fight back against Russia’s invasion, and Tesla has major manufacturing and sales interests in China.
That makes his exclusion from the leaders’ meeting notable. Ukraine is not on the agenda for the trilateral talks, officials said, and Musk — whose satellites have shaped the war — will be nearby in China but outside the room where Trump, Xi and Putin meet.
The Nvidia Question Trump Will Not Raise
Trump also does not plan to raise the scandal around Jensen Huang with Xi, Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials. Huang was ousted as chief executive of Nvidia after reports that he had an extramarital affair with a woman alleged to be an agent of the Chinese government, according to the AP, and the fallout has spread across Washington’s technology and national security circles.
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Keeping the subject off the table with Xi fits the meeting’s narrow focus. Officials have framed the trilateral talks around nuclear arms and Iran, not the technology disputes that have dominated much of the U.S.-China relationship this year.
Why This Matters
The Shenzhen meeting is the first time the leaders of the United States, China and Russia will sit down together, and the White House has presented it as a step toward limiting nuclear weapons. Analysts quoted by the AP, however, said they expected the talks to be heavier on symbolism than on substance, with no agreement expected at this first meeting.
Musk’s presence adds a different dimension. A private businessman with deep commercial stakes in China and a satellite network central to a war the leaders will not discuss is travelling with the president — but not into the meetings that matter most. How much access he gets in Shenzhen, and whether he meets Chinese officials separately, will be watched closely.
Latest Developments
The White House confirmed the trilateral meeting on Friday, November 13, and the AP reported Musk’s role on the trip early Saturday. Plans can still change, and neither report establishes Musk’s full schedule or what role, if any, he will have in the leaders’ discussions. The APEC summit runs November 18–19 in Shenzhen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Elon Musk attending the meeting with Xi and Putin?
No. Musk will accompany Trump to China, but he will not take part in the trilateral meeting or in Trump’s bilateral meeting with Xi. A senior U.S. official said those meetings would be for officials only.
When is the trilateral meeting?
Thursday, November 19, in Shenzhen, on the sidelines of the APEC summit. It is the first three-way meeting of the leaders of the United States, China and Russia.
Will Trump raise the Nvidia scandal with Xi?
No, according to Reuters, citing U.S. officials. Trump does not plan to discuss the fallout from Jensen Huang’s ouster as Nvidia chief executive during his meetings in China.
What is on the agenda?
Nuclear arms reductions are the chief topic, according to the White House. Officials said the leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Iran. Ukraine is not expected to be discussed.
Trump departs Washington on Monday, November 16. The Philippines stop comes first, then Shenzhen — and on Thursday, a meeting with no precedent in modern diplomacy, with Musk watching from outside the room.
Sources: Associated Press (via KXL); Reuters; AFP; White House briefing account (via JBizNews); Newstro.
