Tim Cook Expected at White House State Dinner for Xi Jinping [Report]

Apple executive chairman Tim Cook is expected to attend a White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24, according to a Bloomberg report citing a person familiar with the matter.

President Donald Trump is hosting the event in Washington during Xi's visit. OpenAI has confirmed that chief executive Sam Altman will attend, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is also expected to join other business leaders. The White House did not immediately comment.



Cook stepped down as Apple CEO on September 1, 2026, with John Ternus taking over as chief executive. In his new role as executive chairman, Cook continues to assist with certain aspects of the company, including engaging with policymakers around the world. Bloomberg says that includes government relations involving the White House and China.


The dinner comes amid continued U.S.-China tensions, including over trade and the race to develop artificial intelligence. Trump said earlier this week that he maintains a "great relationship" with Xi.

Cook has attended state dinners with Xi before. In 2015, he sat alongside Xi at a White House state dinner hosted by then-President Barack Obama. Earlier this year, Cook was present when Xi hosted a state dinner for Trump in Beijing and also joined Trump for U.S.-China summit talks.