Beijing, May 15 -- Chairman Xi Jinping laid out the red carpet for his American counterpart in Beijing this week, as the leaders of the world's two most powerful countries met to discuss critical matters. However, trust and suspicion dominated on both sides.

The fact that President Donald Trump was going to Beijing put him in the role of supplicant. Xi's last visit to the USA was in 2023 for an APEC summit, and before that, his last state visit was in 2015.

Trump seemed overwhelmed at times by the lavish treatment he received. Enthused by the sight of choreographed children jumping up and down with excitement, Trump told Xi, "I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy, they were beautiful. Those children were amazin...