Trump, Xi, and a New Balance of Power
19 May 2026

Trump, Xi, and a New Balance of Power

Foreign Policy Live

About
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to great fanfare but left with little to show for it. What does the Trump-Xi summit reveal about the balance of power between the world’s two biggest economies? Rana Mitter, a top historian of China, joins FP Live to discuss where the world’s most important relationship is headed.

Plus, Ravi shares his read on why the Iran war may be Trump’s greatest failure. 

Ravi Agrawal: Iran Could Be Trump’s Greatest Failure

James Palmer: The Trump-Xi Summit Was Remarkably Banal

Fareed Zakaria: Trump’s China Pragmatism Is Welcome

Stephen M. Walt: Chinese Hegemony Might Be Happening

James Palmer: China Doesn’t Always Win When the U.S. Loses
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