Trump-Xi Dinner Offers Chance to Avert Deeper U.S.-China Rift
- Two sides far apart on trade issues and even hopes for meeting
- Trump projects confidence in deal as he ratchets up threats
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2017.
Photographer: Qilai Shen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A year ago, Xi Jinping thought he had Donald Trump all figured out.
The Chinese president had just hosted his American counterpart in Beijing for a summit rich in fanfare. Despite some tensions during the visit, Xi appeared to have steered Trump away from unleashing a withering trade war between the world’s two largest economies.