China wants Trump to roll out the red carpet—and roll over

Xi Jinping is set to make his first U.S. state visit in 11 years beginning September 24, and a bipartisan congressional advisory panel says Beijing's strategy is to push everything into leader-to-leader "summitry" so working-level disputes never get resolved through normal channels. The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, led by Chairman Randall Schriver, briefed reporters after a five-day fact-finding trip to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, its first in seven years.

Commissioners said Chinese officials repeatedly deflected specific questions on trade, sanctions, and military tensions by saying issues could be "addressed in September" between the two leaders, effectively letting Beijing continue what the commission called malign behavior — increased Coast Guard patrols near Taiwan and coercion against the Philippines — while insulated by talk of stability. Officials also reportedly pushed the U.S. to treat allies like Japan and the Philippines as expendable "meddling middle powers."

The White House confirmed the visit's date to Newsweek but declined to answer questions about whether Trump was being managed by Beijing's playbook or what he hopes to accomplish.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.