Sam Altman is going — but DeepSeek and Moonshot AI look set to stay home
According to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on Sept. 23, the list of executives traveling with Xi has been emerging piecemeal, but entrepreneurs leading the AI field — such as DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng and Moonshot AI's Yang Zhilin — have scarcely been mentioned. Who will ultimately accompany Xi remains unclear, but the odds of AI companies taking part appear very low for now.
Neither founder is expected to attend the U.N. Security Council meeting on Sept. 23 devoted to the future of AI and international security. Representatives of DeepSeek and Moonshot AI are expected to attend and speak, unlike OpenAI and Anthropic, whose chief executives are appearing in person.
According to the SCMP, experts offer two interpretations. The first is a desire to shield China's top AI talent amid tensions with Washington. The second is that the United States and China face different degrees of urgency on AI.
Chen Zhiwu, chair professor of finance at the University of Hong Kong, said the move is "a measure to protect them, because at this stage their attendance could put them in an awkward position." Another researcher said: "Overseas trips can expose them to unexpected risks, so leaving them off the delegation may be a form of protection."
Unlike the United States, which faces calls to slow down AI development and public opposition to the technology, China sees no need to ease off — a factor that also appears to have shaped the delegation. Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis, said: "China knows the U.S. needs a breather, but China itself does not. That's why Xi doesn't want to bring the AI team along. It seems very clear."
Beijing has been critical of the argument for slowing AI development. Chinese state media have called it "a Cold War-style playbook for the U.S. to maintain technological hegemony and exclude China from global AI governance."
Another view: EVs, tangled in tariffs, took priority
Some also read the lineup as prioritizing companies with immediate stakes in issues such as tariffs and overseas investment. Alfredo Montufar-Helu, managing director for China at Ankura Consulting, said: "The composition of high-level delegations is decided through bilateral negotiation and mutual agreement." He added: "Just like the American executives who traveled to China with Trump last May, I expect preference for companies that do business central to the bilateral agenda or are directly affected by regulation."
Indeed, expectations are building ahead of the summit that Chinese EVs may enter the U.S. market. President Donald Trump recently said it would be "fine" for China to build auto plants in the United States as long as it hires American workers. The U.S. auto industry has reportedly written to Trump urging him to keep blocking Chinese automakers and their supply chains from entering the country.
