U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to invite chief executives from major U.S. companies, including Apple CEO Tim Cook (팀 쿡), to join his planned visit to China next week, according to a report.

According to IT outlet 9to5Mac on May 7 local time, the list for the China trip is also likely to include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang (젠슨 황) and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon (크리스티아노 아몬).

Executives from Exxon, Boeing, Blackstone, Citigroup and Visa were also mentioned as invitees. The list could grow further, the report said. Under Trump’s second administration, taking business leaders on overseas trips has already been repeated. It said schedules with business figures were also set during visits last year to Britain, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

The trip could go beyond a simple visit by an economic delegation and intersect with U.S.-China technology competition. With speculation that the United States and China are considering official talks over competition in artificial intelligence, some AI-related discussions could also be included during the visit to China. This comes as concerns grow that U.S.-China AI competition could spread into a "digital era arms race."

Attention is focused on whether Cook will attend. Apple has high dependence on China in both its production bases and local sales. In that situation, speculation is emerging that if Cook does not accept the invitation, it could be read in both Washington and Beijing as a signal of non-participation. With iPhone sales in China recently rebounding, Cook’s choice has taken on significance beyond a simple diplomatic schedule.

Cook’s relationship with Trump is also a variable. Cook is reported to have previously declined a request to accompany Trump on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, and speculation later emerged that ties between the two had somewhat cooled. At the time, Trump publicly mentioned Cook’s absence in a speech in Riyadh, telling Huang, "Tim Cook isn't here but you are." It also drew attention in the same context that Trump later pressured Apple by saying he would impose a 25 percent tariff on iPhones not produced in the United States.

The visit is also linked to Apple’s management succession phase. Apple has confirmed that Cook will continue to be involved in communicating with policymakers worldwide even after he takes the chairman role in the future. If he joins the China visit, it could be a signal to both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (시진핑) that Apple’s approach to external cooperation is not changing.

Trump was reported to have told corporate executives he met recently that he hoped to see them in Beijing. Detailed schedules have not yet been finalised, but whether Cook attends could become an inflection point for gauging his external moves during his remaining term as CEO. For Apple, the trip involves its China business, relations with the U.S. administration and policy responses under the next leadership all at once.