Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla to Attend White House State Dinner for Xi Jinping
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla plans to attend the White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter said.
Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla is expected to attend the White House state dinner being held on Thursday evening in honour of Chinese President Xi Jinping, a person familiar with the arrangements said.
The dinner forms part of President Donald Trump's welcome for the Chinese leader, who arrives in Washington this week for what will be the second encounter between the two leaders this year.
The meeting comes as Washington and Beijing look to steady a relationship that has been strained by a range of disputes, including trade, Taiwan and Iran. Both sides are also weighing the wider global implications of artificial intelligence.
Bourla's expected presence at the dinner places a prominent figure from the American pharmaceutical industry at one of the highest-profile diplomatic events of the year. Pfizer has significant commercial interests in China, and the company's leadership has previously engaged with policymakers on both sides of the Pacific.
Neither Pfizer nor the White House has publicly commented on the guest list. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the arrangements have not been formally announced.