Trump and Xi Meet as China Holds Economic Edge but US Keeps Tech Leverage

Xi Jinping arrives in Washington Thursday for his third meeting with Donald Trump in under a year, with China appearing to hold greater economic leverage while Trump faces domestic political pressures. The summit will test whether Beijing's supply-chain advantages outweigh Washington's technological controls. China has demonstrated its ability to disrupt US supply chains through rare earths dominance, while Trump enters under pressure from inflation, the Iran war, and upcoming midterm elections. Washington retains leverage through restrictions on advanced AI chips, and both sides have extended their trade truce by two months. Xi seeks relief from technology restrictions and delays on Taiwan arms sales, while Trump wants Chinese purchases of Boeing aircraft and agriculture goods. Both leaders face domestic economic weaknesses, with China's consumer spending falling and US inflation persisting.