Ties between Washington and Beijing remain complex: The White House regularly criticizes Xi’s government on trade market access and aggressive behavior in the South China Sea but still asks Beijing for help on containing Pyongyang.
Both leaders have different objectives for the Nov. 8-10 visit, Ryan Hass, a foreign policy expert at think tank the Brookings Institution, said in a recent note.
“Xi’s goal will be for Trump to leave Beijing satisfied that he was accorded due respect and convinced that he should continue pursuing a constructive, results-based approach to China in order to achieve the goals he seeks — more balanced trade and better cooperation on North Korea.”
The U.S. leader, meanwhile, will seek to convince Xi that Beijing must moderate its behavior to preserve against imbalances in the bilateral relationship, especially when it comes to the treatment of U.S. firms in China.
“Unlike previous state visits where deliverables were negotiated for months and used as yardsticks of the success of the visit, Trump would like the lasting legacy of this summit to be his success in compelling Xi to adopt an attitudinal shift in his approach to the relationship,” Hass said.
