Former NSC Senior Director for China & State Dep China Coordinator | Now at Columbia SIPA | Wrote Never Turn Back: China & the Forbidden History of the 1980s &c
New from me:
Is Trump really giving Xi a state visit 40 days before the midterms?
Presidents ordinarily have strong incentives to avoid honoring a deeply unpopular foreign rival on the eve of a close national election. Trump appears entirely untroubled by that risk. Is he signaling that he believes he has mastered the politics of U.S.-China relations? Or does he simply not care?
Here's a guided tour of the strange theater of U.S.-China presidential diplomacy—from oversized Chinese flags on the White House grounds to the toasts, pop-star performances, and protocol slip-ups that have defined past visits.
Read it here: