India, May 12 -- Donald Trump heads to China this week with fewer cards in his hand than at any point in his presidency, even as the unresolved US-Iran war, a volatile Gulf, and an uncertain Indo-Pacific architecture pile pressure on Washington, Beijing and New Delhi alike.

The picture that emerges from the recent Point Blank conversation between Hindustan Times Executive Editor Shishir Gupta and Senior Anchor Aayesha Varma is of a world where leaders are constantly in motion, but durable solutions remain elusive.

Gupta underlines that Trump is flying into Beijing at a time when his traditional tools of pressure have been blunted and the Iran conflict casts a long shadow over every conversation. Washington has already rejected a proposa...