China-US Trade Talks: Key U.S. Companies & CEOs Seek Deals Amid Friction

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]China and the United States will try once again to resolve long-running trade friction with fresh talks in South Korea. The Vice Premier, He Lifeng, is already in the country leading a high-level delegation. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent flies in on Wednesday. Now, the talks come ahead of President Trump's visit to China later this week. Together with him, a strong business delegation including CEOs of Tesla, Apple, and Boeing.

[00:00:30]Well, let's take a look now at how some major US companies are performing in China right now. First up, Tesla. The EV giant faced some headwinds in China in April with domestic sales falling 10% year-on-year to just under 26,000 vehicles. But, despite weaker Chinese sales, global deliveries from Tesla's Shanghai factory surged by more than a third to nearly 79 and 1/2 thousand vehicles highlighting the plant's strong production and export capacity.

[00:01:02]Next is Boeing, which is reportedly seeking to secure an historic deal with China for around 500 aircraft during Trump's visit. Back in 2017, during Trump's previous China visit, Boeing secured orders worth $37 billion. Last but not least is Apple and CEO Tim Cook.

[00:01:23]Apple's sales in China jumped 20% in the first quarter. The company has also lowered App Store fees in China as it looks to strengthen its grip on Chinese consumers. Well, let's get more now from Santosh Rao, who's head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners.

[00:01:41]Thank you very much indeed for joining me. So, when we look at the US business delegation heading to Beijing, what does it tell us about Trump Trump's priorities and what he actually hopes to achieve, do you think?

[00:01:53]Well, thanks for having me. Well, all these leaders represent categories that America needs to make a deal on. And this is agricultural products, Boeings, and Apple, and everyone has an interest in China.

[00:02:08]And those are the people going there in life sciences and other areas as well.

[00:02:12]So, I think it's a very transactional business in that sense. Transactional tour in that sense.

[00:02:17]Transactional trip rather in this sense.

[00:02:20]But it's important. Important for both countries. Even for China, given all the geopolitical tensions, the tariffs, and the global policy uncertainty. I think meeting these two meeting these two countries meeting with 50 trillion between both of both of them in terms of economies, that's a huge thing that the whole world will be watching. We need these two countries to come to a state where they can come to a some kind of a steady state and start doing business. So, I think it's very important. All these leaders represent a category that the US wants to make a deal in, and China is also willing to talk about it. And they have their own demands as well.

[00:03:01]What would success look like for these businesses, do you think?

[00:03:05]Yeah, I think there will be some deals announced. Maybe China will buy a few planes. They will relax a few products or agree to buy certain things.

[00:03:15]And and China will also be US will agree to some relaxing relaxing in terms of semiconductors, which looks doubtful. But I think they will relax and they will temper their talk about tariffs and other things. Try to make it more seamless and take out the friction that's out there right now in terms of trade policy. I think that will be the biggest thing that both countries come out of it saying that, "Okay, you know what? We're ready to do business.

[00:03:43]We put the worst thing behind us now.

[00:03:45]Let's move forward. We have some deals going on. Hopefully China will honor our their commitments and US will honor Chinese commitments." So, things like that. So, I think if we can get that language out of them that we have come to a some kind of a working arrangement where there is less friction and ready to move forward, I think that will be the biggest success.

[00:04:03]Talking about friction, China's visa-free policy has seen a huge spike in travelers coming to the country, hasn't it?

[00:04:11]Therefore, how welcome would more Boeing planes be? And how much does Boeing need China, do you think?

[00:04:18]Boeing needs China uh very very much and China needs more planes because like you said, there is tremendous traffic, tremendous demand.

[00:04:27]Uh One thing about Chinese market is that exports are a big part of Chinese economy right now. The internal consumption is kind of on the softer side. Uh so, I think exports play a big part in everything. So, they need not only good relations, but they need a lot of movement around back and forth. So, I think that will be good for Boeing and for the Chinese in a domestic market as well but they can travel back and forth.

[00:04:51]There's less uh less congestion, so to speak, and uh more more uh more free-flowing traffic between the two countries.

[00:04:59]Santosh Rao, thank you very much indeed for that.

[00:05:02]Anytime. Thank you.