On May 14, 2026, artillery shells fired in a 21-gun salute echoed outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as Donald Trump set foot in China for another state visit after a nine-year hiatus. Behind the clamor of high-level protocol, this globally watched summit between the two heads of state reflected the most complex and tension-filled bilateral relationship in the world today. Between the United States and China lies a community of interests where "each is deeply emb