AI leaders to attend state dinner with Jinping: Report

Well, this is one way to thaw relations. The White House is rolling out the red carpet for Xi Jinping next week, and the guest list reads like a who's who of American AI royalty. Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and the rest of the Silicon Valley brain trust are expected to be at the state dinner. That is not just a nice gesture; it's a strategic seating chart.

Bringing these executives to the table is a welcome departure from the last administration's approach. There is no value in lecturing Beijing from a distance while our competitors are on the ground building relationships. Trump understands that the U.S.-China technology rivalry is not settled in the pages of a policy paper; it’s settled in boardrooms, trade deals, and war rooms. Having Altman and Huang in the room sends a clear signal: we intend to compete, but we're also ready to deal. That is the kind of pragmatic strength that actually moves the needle.

Of course, the critics will moan about the optics. They will say it looks like a cozy photo op with a geopolitical adversary, or that the executives are just there to protect their own market access. Maybe a little of both. But let's not pretend that a few dozen billionaires deciding not to show up would somehow strengthen our hand. Isolation is a policy for losers. Direct engagement is a policy for winners.

The real test will be what Trump secures in that room next Thursday. We need more than pleasantries on the record and complaining in the briefing room. The summit should be about concrete commitments on export controls, fair market access for our companies, and a serious conversation about who gets the next generation of chips. We are glad the CEOs are going. Now, the pressure is on to ensure this dinner is the opening move in a new, more candid chapter—not just an expensive meal that ends with a joint statement full of vague promises. A direct line to power is a start, but we expect a return on the investment.