War on the Rocks Analysis: Trump's Planned China Visit 'Won't Fix Much' in Strategic Competition

A War on the Rocks analysis argued Trump's planned visit to China is unlikely to produce meaningful progress on strategic competition, even if it occurs. The piece examines how the Iran conflict has reshuffled great-power dynamics, with China 'playing the long game' by maintaining neutrality to preserve Gulf energy relationships while the US is militarily overextended. The analysis suggests Beijing will extract concessions on trade and Taiwan policy without offering substantive cooperation on Iran or Hormuz, as China benefits from US strategic distraction.