Trump Faces an Emboldened China

“When President Trump returns to China nearly a decade after his last visit, he will find a country that is more self-sufficient, militarily assertive and economically insulated from the tools the president has used to stymie it and its ambitions,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“China has caught up to or surpassed the U.S. in technologies such as batteries, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Its naval fleet is now the world’s biggest, while its nuclear arsenal keeps growing. It knows it has the capacity to respond to the many threats that Trump issues, with restrictions on rare-earth minerals or with other moves.”

“All of this has altered the balance of power between the U.S. and China, making it more likely that Beijing digs in on core issues of contention, say analysts and diplomats.”

Washington Post: Confident in China’s power, Xi is ready to host an unpredictable Trump.