India, May 12 -- US President Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on May 14 for a two-day meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping - the first visit by a sitting US president in nearly a decade. The summit unfolds amid heightened West Asian tensions, with the Iran conflict and resulting energy disruptions casting a shadow over proceedings.

The optics will be carefully choreographed: both leaders have reason to project stability. Yet expectations should remain modest. Beijing may prefer limited outcomes for now, calculating that US Congressional mid-term elections could narrow Trump's room for manoeuvre. After a turbulent 2025, when US tariffs on Chinese goods briefly touched 145%, the cordiality on display may prove largely cosmetic. US...