President Donald Trump will face the greatest challenge of his presidency so far when he meets next week with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his 12-day trip to Asia.
Discussion of North Korea’s nuclear saber-rattling may make headlines, but it is the economic talks between Trump and Xi that will reveal who holds the power in the room.
Trump’s comments on China have run the gamut. He has vowed to “get tough” with Beijing in the past but has also praised Xi, saying the two have the greatest “president-president” relationship ever. With his trip to Asia, Trump has an opportunity to show the world whether that relationship can survive Trump’s tough stance on trade with China.