Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is joining President Trump's delegation in Beijing. His presence is seen as a commercial and personal element, potentially acting as a 'natural bridge' for trade discussions with China.

When US President Donald Trump’s delegation touches down in Beijing on Wednesday night, he looks to be flanked by a cadre of corporate executives, headlined by a man seen by much of the Chinese public as the most familiar American entrepreneur of his generation: Elon Musk. The Tesla and SpaceX chief’s presence alongside Trump for meetings with President Xi Jinping adds a distinctive commercial and personal layer to a diplomatically delicate trip. “Musk’s inclusion in Trump’s China delegation has...