Trump meets Xi as strained U.S. alliances complicate pressure on China

President Donald Trump begins a two-day meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as U.S. efforts to squeeze China through tariffs, technology curbs and ally pressure run into partners increasingly reluctant to line up behind Washington. Strains over tariffs, defense spending and personal disputes have weakened those alliances, while China’s global trade surplus is on pace to top $1 trillion for a second straight year, reaching a record $1.2 trillion in 2025 despite falling exports to the U.S.