Trump faces Xi as strains with allies complicate U.S. pressure on China

President Donald J. Trump during an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office, at the White House, in Washington, Sept. 18, 2026.Evan Vucci | ReutersPresident Donald Trump has spent years trying to squeeze China — imposing tariffs, cutting off access to advanced technology and pressing U.S. allies to reduce their dependence on Beijing. When he begins meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, he'll juxtapose the longstanding bluster with the pomp and circumstance the leaders lavish on each other.And the two-day tête-à-tête will take place as Trump confronts a China that has proved harder to isolate and allies increasingly reluctant to line up behind the U.S. to do it.Part of that is Beijing's doing. China has deepened trade ties around the world while building leverage of its own, most notably through rare earths. Its global trade surplus is on pace to top $1 trillion for a second straight year, reaching a record $1.2 trillion for 2025 even as its exports to the U.S. dropped.But the shift also reflects Trump's approach. Since returning to office, fights over tariffs, defense spending and personal spats have strained relationships with traditional allies even as Tr...