Elon Musk says 'good feeling' on China talks

Elon Musk said on May 14 that he had “a good feeling” about U.S.-China talks, posting on X as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a two-day summit in Beijing. Musk’s comment was brief, but it came while he was traveling with a U.S. business delegation that included other top executives and while the White House and Beijing were trying to show progress on trade and other disputes. Reuters reported that Musk was among the executives accompanying Trump to China, where the agenda included trade, artificial intelligence, rare earths and Taiwan. The post drew notice because Musk was not commenting from the sidelines. Reuters and other outlets reported that he was in Beijing as part of Trump’s entourage, reflecting Tesla’s deep commercial exposure to China and Musk’s standing with both U.S. officials and Chinese counterparts. Forbes reported that Xi met a delegation of American executives that included Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and said China would “open wider” to U.S. business. (cnbc.com) ### What exactly did Musk say? Elon Musk wrote on May 14 that he had “a good feeling” about the talks and was “expecting a good result,” according to the X post referenced in the story context. The wording aligned with separate remarks attributed to him in Beijing that the meetings were going “great” and that there were “a lot of good things,” according to Izvestia’s report citing CNN. (kfgo.com) That phrasing was notable mainly for its timing. Musk posted while Trump and Xi were still in the middle of summit diplomacy, not after the two sides had announced a formal package of agreements. Reuters reported on May 15 that the two leaders were due to meet again to wrap up the visit. (en.iz.ru) ### Why was Musk in Beijing with Trump? President Donald Trump invited Musk and other U.S. executives to join his China trip, CNBC reported on May 11, citing a White House official. The list included leaders from Tesla, Apple, BlackRock, Boeing and other companies with major interests in the Chinese market or in U.S.-China supply chains. (usnews.com) Reuters reported that Trump arrived in Beijing accompanied by executives including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Elon Musk after saying he would press Xi to “open up” to U.S. business. That placed Musk inside a delegation meant to underline the commercial stakes of the summit as much as its diplomatic ones. (cnbc.com) ### What issues were Trump and Xi discussing? Beijing hosted the Trump-Xi summit on May 14 and May 15 with trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran-related disruptions all on the agenda, according to Reuters, CNBC and other reports. Reuters said the visit featured business deals but also sharp friction, including Xi’s warning that mishandling Taiwan could send relations to “a very dangerous place.” (kfgo.com) CNBC reported that Xi told Trump the Taiwan question was the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. Reuters also said Trump was seeking tangible outcomes from the trip as he tried to steady ties with America’s main strategic and economic rival. ### Why does Musk’s view carry weight here? (usnews.com) Tesla has major business interests in China, and Reuters reported on May 14 that Musk remains a prominent and contested figure there. The report said he is admired by many Chinese consumers and officials as a technology entrepreneur but has also faced scrutiny from regulators and criticism tied to Tesla customer complaints, while SpaceX and Starlink have drawn concern from Chinese military-linked analysts. (cnbc.com) Forbes reported that Xi’s outreach to U.S. executives explicitly included Musk, underscoring how closely business access and state-level diplomacy were intertwined during the visit. That made Musk’s favorable public comment part of a wider effort by both sides to project a workable tone even as the summit dealt with unresolved disputes. (usnews.com) ### What comes next after Musk’s post? May 15 was set as the second and final day of the Beijing summit, with Trump and Xi scheduled to meet again before Trump departed, Reuters reported. Any concrete outcome from the talks was expected to come from the leaders or their governments, rather than from Musk’s social media commentary. (forbes.com) Reuters said the next formal milestone was the close of Trump’s two-day state visit to China on May 15. That is where markets, companies and officials were looking for specifics on trade, technology or other agreements that might follow Musk’s upbeat assessment. (usnews.com)