What China wants from Trump

Before the Iran war became a quagmire, American optimism surrounding President Donald Trump’s trip to China — this Wednesday to Friday — was high. The expectation was that Trump would negotiate from a position of strength because of U.S. supremacy in artificial intelligence and advanced technology.

Now, however, as the Iran war drags into its third month and the stalemate over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues, China experts and many Americans worry that Trump, in pursuit of short-term symbolic victories on trade, particularly agriculture, and commercial aircraft, could make long-term strategic concessions to China.

Because of continuing weakness in the Chinese economy caused by the collapse of the residential real estate sector and a bankrupt state banking system, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s top priority is securing greater stability and predictability in China’s trade relationship with the United States. China remains heavily dependent on its export economy. In turn,