Red Carpet Defeat: How China Played Trump Like a Casino Tourist
Trump flew to China promising to put the dragon on a leash and came home carrying a bag of soybean promises, university tuition receipts, and little else. Beijing gave up no meaningful ground on farmland, Taiwan, or strategic competition, while Trump softened on Chinese land purchases and signaled support for large numbers of Chinese students studying in the United States. Xi Jinping kept the leverage, protected his core interests, and let Washington celebrate another stack of nonbinding agreements. The dragon did not blink. It smiled, bowed politely, and sent America home with a participation trophy.
