ExclusiveTrump-Xi summit shaped by uncertainty, not strategy: experts
War distractions and limited goals risk turning Beijing talks into optics over substance, as expectations shrink and planning falters
As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to sit down in the coming weeks, negotiations on deliverables and scheduling have accelerated, including a possible visit to Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and a military parade, according to several people familiar with the planning process.
“This will be so interesting,” said one person knowledgeable about planning details. “You have the most predictable president and the least predictable president. God knows what will come out.”
Arrangements have built on a US working-level team that travelled to Beijing and a Chinese team that travelled to Washington in early March, shortly before the White House rescheduled the summit, citing the war, sources said.
“All I can say is President Trump’s decision to delay had been properly communicated to Beijing,” said a diplomatic source who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
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