The Wuzhen World Internet Conference, China’s flagship technology event, opened on Wednesday with a notable absence: foreign technology executives.

The annual gathering near Shanghai is pitched as an opportunity for Beijing to showcase its tech prowess. In previous years, China has made much of the attendance of Silicon Valley leaders such as Apple chief executive Tim Cook and Google boss Sundar Pichai.

But this year’s event is being held against the backdrop of a fierce trade war between Washington and Beijing, that is largely being fought over American allegations of technology and intellectual property theft by Chinese companies. US officials are also concerned by the prospect of China establishing its dominance in key sectors such as 5G, the next generation of wireless technology, and artificial intelligence.