Xi Jinping won the agenda for his summit with Donald Trump before Airforce One touched down in Beijing. America would do it his way. Trump would not ask China to improve its human rights record, strengthen its currency, cease its cyberattacks, curtail support for Russia, or lighten up on Taiwan. Instead, Trump’s purpose would be to celebrate his relationship with Xi and sell stuff. With no need to make concessions or commitments, Xi would offer pageantry, purchases, and platitudes in the hope that Trump would depart Beijing satisfied and move on to other matters.
School Authors: Robert Daly