Xi-Trump summit drew Chinese CEOs. So why couldn’t they get a seat at the table?

As American billionaires gathered at the White House to honour Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan last Thursday, a group of Chinese business leaders spent the evening on the sidelines.

They had travelled to the US capital to join the state dinner. But their invitations never arrived.

For weeks, their participation was the subject of intense discussion between Washington and Beijing.

While it was under consideration until the summit’s final hours, they were ultimately excluded due to poor communication between the two governments, the two sides’ differing views on reciprocity and the White House’s unclear attitude towards Chinese investments in the United States, according to multiple sources.