Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to bring a large business delegation with him to Washington for a Sept. 24 summit, Reuters reported Friday, citing two sources.
The report noted that Xi rarely travels abroad with corporate executives, making the move unusual, given US skepticism toward Chinese investment and Beijing's strained ties with private firms.
Xi last traveled to the US with a large business delegation in 2015, when the group included Alibaba (BABA) founder Jack Ma, Tencent founder Pony Ma, as well as executives from Chinese banks and state-owned companies, according to the report.
One of the sources said the planned delegation is aimed in part at signaling China's willingness to support investment and commercial ties with the U.S., while offering the White House potential economic wins ahead of the midterm elections.
China's foreign ministry, the US Treasury Department, State Department and Office of the US Trade Representative did not immediately reply to MT Newswires' requests for comment.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)