Trump and Xi: what’s behind the friendly words?

The visit will do nothing to change the US’s waning influence on the global stage, writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:

“Trump may believe that the glow of China’s strength will reflect on him, but he fails to recognise that China is using this trip to increase its own power. Xi specifically addressed the Taiwan issue and warned that American support for the island republic could lead to a conflict with China. The White House, by contrast, made no mention of Taiwan. … Beijing is patiently and deliberately positioning itself to advance to the centre of the global order – a position it feels entitled to occupy. During his first term in office, Trump already identified China as the main threat to the United States, but instead of focusing on this, he is getting sidetracked.”