Just over two weeks before President Donald Trump is due to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, Chinese uncertainty over the US leader's goals and the impact of the Iran war hang over the highly anticipated state visit.
Trump's trip, his first to China in his second term, is aimed at sealing a trade war truce the two leaders shook hands on when they met in South Korea in October.
kAmqFE 7@C q6:;:?8[ H9:49 =:<6D E@ 42C67F==J 49@C6@8C2A9 DF49 6G6?ED E@ 2G@:5 2?J A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 6>32CC2DD>6?E[ %CF>AVD 7C66\H966=:?8 DEJ=6 :D AC@G:?8 2 492==6?86]k^Am
kAmp D@FC46 72>:=:2C H:E9 ?68@E:2E:@?D E@=5 pu! E92E r9:?6D6 @77:4:2=D H6C6 6IA64E:?8 >@C6 2>3:E:@FD AC6A2C2E:@?D 7@C DF49 2 DF>>:E 36EH66? E96 =6256CD @7 E96 C:G2= DFA6CA@H6CD]k^Am
kAm%96 (9:E6 w@FD6 :?D:DE65 9@H6G6C E92E AC6A2C2E:@?D H6C6 8@:?8 H6== 7@C E96 G:D:E 7C@> |2C49 b` E@ pAC:= a[ H:E9 C68F=2C 4@?E24ED 2?5 :?E6C24E:@?D H:E9 q6:;:?8]Â k^Am
kAmQ&?=:<6 E96 2FE@A6? q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? E92E AC:K65 A6C7@C>2?46 @G6C @FE4@>6D[ E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D G6CJ 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 EC:A A=2??:?8[ @? 3@E9 =@8:DE:4D 2?5 56=:G6C23=6D[Q 2 (9:E6 w@FD6 @77:4:2= E@=5 pu![ C676CC:?8 E@ E96 244FD2E:@? E92E 7@C>6C AC6D:56?E y@6 q:56? FD65 2? 2FE@>2E65 56G:46 E@ D:8? 5@4F>6?ED]k^Am
kAmQ%96 AC6D:56?E =@@<D 7@CH2C5 E@ 9:D G:D:E E@ r9:?2[ H96C6 96 2?5 !C6D:56?E ): H:== 5:D4FDD 2 C2?86 @7 E@A:4D @7 :>A@CE2?46 E@ E96 H@C=5VD EH@ =2C86DE 64@?@>:6D]Qk^Am
kAm%CF>A :D Q:?E6?E @? =6G6=:?8 E96 A=2J:?8 7:6=5 7@C p>6C:42? 72C>6CD[ >2?F724EFC6CD[ 2?5 H@C<:?8 72>:=:6D[Q E96 @77:4:2= 25565]k^Am
k9am\ %C256 H2C Â \k^9am
kAmqFD:?6DD =6256CD 9@H6G6C 92G6 366? 4@?46C?65 E92E 2D @7 62C=:6C E9:D H66<[ :?G:E2E:@?D 925 ?@E 8@?6 @FE E@ 36 A2CE @7 E96 &$ 56=682E:@?]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 92C5 E@ :>28:?6 E96 AC6D:56?E :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ H2?E E@ 92G6 2 C@3FDE 56=682E:@?[Q $62? $E6:?[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 &$\r9:?2 qFD:?6DD r@F?4:=[ D2:5 %F6D52J]k^Am
kAmQ(6 E9:?< :EVD :>A@CE2?E 7@C E92E E@ 92AA6? D@@?]Qk^Am
kAm$4@EE z6??65J @7 E96 r6?E6C 7@C $EC2E68:4 2?5 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $EF5:6D 36=:6G6D 3@E9 D:56D 92G6 5:D4FDD65 =@8:DE:4D 3FE >256 =6DD AC@8C6DD Q@? DF3DE2?46]Qk^Am
kAmx7 3FD:?6DD =6256CD 2C6 :?G@=G65 E@@ =2E6[ E92E 4@F=5 =62G6 E96 EC:A D9@CE @? 56=:G6C23=6D[ 96 H2C?65]k^Am
kAmx? 2 D:8? E92E 3@E9 D:56D H2?E E@ D6E E96 DE286 7@C E96 %CF>A\): E2=<D[ &$ %C62DFCJ $64C6E2CJ $4@EE q6DD6?E :D 5F6 E@ >66E H:E9 r9:?6D6 ':46 !C6>:6C w6 {:76?8 :? !2C:D E9:D H66<6?5]k^Am
kAm%96 >66E:?8 :D =:<6=J >62?E E@ 92>>6C @FE 64@?@>:4 249:6G6>6?ED E@ 36 2??@F?465 2E E96 =6256CDV DF>>:E[ uF52? &?:G6CD:EJ AC@76DD@C (F ):?3@ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2<6D 2C6 9:89[ H:E9 (2D9:?8E@? E9:D H66< 2??@F?4:?8 EC256 :?G6DE:82E:@?D :?E@ 4@F?EC:6D :?4=F5:?8 r9:?2[ @A6?:?8 E96 5@@C E@ A6?2=E:6D E@ C6A=246 E96 %CF>A E2C:77D @G6CEFC?65 3J E96 &$ $FAC6>6 r@FCE]k^Am
kAm%96 G:D:E 7@==@HD 2 EFC3F=6?E J62C 7@C &$\r9:?2 E:6D D:?46 %CF>A C6EFC?65 E@ E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 :? y2?F2CJ a_ad[ 2D E96 4@F?EC:6D 7@F89E 2? 6D42=2E:?8 E2C:77D H2C 27E6C %CF>A :>A@D65 DH66A:?8 8=@32= 5FE:6D :? pAC:=]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 4@?46C? :D %2:H2?[ E96 D6=7\8@G6C?:?8 :D=2?5 E92E D@>6 &$ @77:4:2=D 36=:6G6 ): H2?ED E@ :?G256 :? a_af] %CF>A D2:5 C646?E=J 96 H@F=5 564:56 D@@? H96E96C E@ D6?5 %2:H2? >@C6 H62A@?D[ 56DA:E6 ):VD H2C?:?8D ?@E E@]k^Am
k9am\ xC2? @G6CD925@HDn \k^9am
kAmqFE A6C92AD E96 3:886DE 4=@F5 @G6C E96 G:D:E :D H2C :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
kAmQx7 E9:D H2C 42CC:6D @? E@ pAC:=[ E96? E92E H:== 36 E96 >2:? E2=<:?8 A@:?E :? E96 %CF>A\): >66E:?8[Q q6?;2>:? w@[ 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C 2E E96 $] #2;2C2E?2> $49@@= @7 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $EF5:6D[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmr9:?2 92D 4@?56>?65 E96 &$\xDC26=: DEC:<6D @? xC2?[ H9:49 92G6 9:E @:= :>A@CED E@ E96 H@C=5VD D64@?5\=2C86DE 64@?@>J 2E 2 D6?D:E:G6 E:>6]k^Am
kAm*6E q6:;:?8 92D DE66C65 4=62C @7 4@?4C6E6 24E:@? E@ 96=A %69C2?[ 2 =@?8\E:>6 2==J[ @C @7 5:C64E 4@?7C@?E2E:@? H:E9 (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAm%CF>A E@@ 92D A=2J65 5@H? 2?J C:7E[ :?DE625 A@CEC2J:?8 E96 H2C 2D G:E2= 7@C <66A:?8 E96 $EC2:E @7 w@C>FK 4=62C 7@C @:= EC277:4]Â k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 C62==J 96=A:?8 r9:?2 96C6[Q %CF>A D2:5 |@?52J]k^Am
kAmr9:?2VD :?G6DE>6?ED :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ 2?5 564:D:@?D @? :?G6DE>6?ED[ >2J 36 9:E[ 3FE :ED A6C46:G65 ?6FEC2=:EJ 4@F=5 96=A D9:AD EC2?D:E E96 DEC2:E[ 2D 92AA6?65 H:E9 E96 w@FE9: C636=D :? *6>6?]k^Am
kAmp?2=JDED D2:5 r9:?2 :D F?=:<6=J E@ A=2J 2?J >65:2E:?8 C@=6[ AC676CC:?8 E@ <66A :ED 5:DE2?46]k^Am
kAmx?DE625[ ): >2J FD6 E96 DF>>:E E@ AC@;64E 2? :>286 @7 DE2E6D>2?\=:<6 DE23:=:EJ[ :? 4@?EC2DE H:E9 E96 EFC3F=6?46 F?=62D965 3J 9:D &$ G:D:E@C \\ 2?5 2G@:5 xC2? 2=E@86E96C]k^Am
kAmQr9:?6D6 @77:4:2=D AC@323=J H2?E E@ 2G@:5 2?J AF3=:4 5:DA=2J @7 24C:>@?J H:E9 %CF>A[Q D2:5 y62?\{@FA $2>22?[ D6?:@C C6D62C49 76==@H 2E E96 }2E:@?2= &?:G6CD:EJ @7 $:?82A@C6VD |:55=6 t2DE x?DE:EFE6]k^Am
kAm3JD\:D<\5<^;Dk^Am
