As Xi Tightens His Grip on China, U.S. Sees Conflict Ahead<br />Mr. Trump’s handling of China reflects not only his protectionist trade agenda and America First foreign policy, but also his reluctance to antagonize Mr. Xi personally — a peculiar deference<br />that prompted the tough questions directed at Mr. Bannon over dinner.<br />Mr. Schell said that The military is gone, the press is gone, the intellectuals are gone, civil society is gone and now the businessmen are gone,<br />that China, we probably lost $504 billion, last year, on trade,<br />Rather than faulting him or his former boss, President Trump, for their hostile approach, they pressed<br />him on why Mr. Trump had not followed through with his tough talk about trade and North Korea.<br />By itself, some former officials said, Mr. Xi’s move to stay in power should not augur greater conflict with the United States.<br />He declined to label China a currency manipulator last year<br />because he said the timing was bad: Mr. Xi had agreed to help the United States press North Korea to curb its nuclear and missile programs.<br />China said that exacerbating the fault line that alrea
