Trump is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on May 14 for talks with Xi Jinping, but multiple outlets report he enters negotiations from a weakened position — partly due to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict which has consumed diplomatic bandwidth and given China strategic advantage. Steve Hanke, an applied economics professor, argues China deliberately spent years eroding U.S. leverage before these talks, though this is analytical commentary rather than documented fact. The stakes include trade deals, Taiwan policy, and securing Chinese help with the Iran situation — positioning that gives Beijing significant negotiating power.