Bill Hornbuckle, president and CEO of MGM Resorts International, was part of a delegation of U.S. business leaders who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on March 27.
Inside Asian Gaming called the meeting part of “an important thawing of relations between the two international superpowers,” and a “positive message on Beijing’s current view of Macau,” the only place in China where gambling is legal. MGM is one of six casino concessionaires in the city, the world’s preeminent gaming hub.
The meeting was also described as a conciliatory gesture on China’s part, as the country tries to lure back foreign investment, which dropped 8 percent in 2023.
During the meeting, Xi said his goal is “to seek common ground while preserving minor differences, establishing more consensus among nations, within families and among relatives.
“The history of China-U.S. relations is a chronicle of friendly interactions between the peoples of the two countries,” he said. “It was written by the people in the past and must continue to be shaped by the people of both nations in the future. Individuals from all sectors of both countries should engage more, communicate more and cooperate more.”
Hornbuckle told IAG, “U.S.-China travel fosters not just trade and economic ties, but personal and cultural ties that lead to greater mutual understanding and respect. MGM Resorts has been proud of our role in supporting U.S.-China relations through increased bilateral travel and tourism.
“I was honored to be part of the meeting convened by President Xi to discuss how to use these ties to strengthen the U.S.-China relationship.”
The delegation also included Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Bloomberg Chairman Mark Carney, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and FedEx Chairman and CEO Raj Subramaniam, as well as Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council.
