Every week that passes without a face-to-face meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping gives fresh grievances time to accumulate. That growing list is testing both sides’ ability to keep ties steady between the world’s top economies.
In the past few days, China has launched retaliatory probes into U.S. trade practices, while a bipartisan group of American senators visited Taiwan to press for more spending to deter a Chinese invasion of the chip hub. As Trump’s war in Iran continues to disrupt global commerce crucial to China’s growth, Beijing on Tuesday issued a joint call with Pakistan for an immediate ceasefire.
As those tensions build ahead of a much-anticipated leaders’ summit delayed to mid-May, the White House has signaled its intent to keep ties steady. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said that cabinet officials will travel to China in the coming weeks, a move that could reassure Beijing after officials previously signaled dissatisfaction with Washington’s last-minute preparations.
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