Trump-Xi summit: Stalemate looms over tough agenda

The guest list is impressive. The table settings will be immaculate. But nobody should confuse a state dinner with a surrender. President Trump is rolling out the full treatment for Xi Jinping this week, and the Chinese leader will smile through every course of it. Behind the pageantry sits a negotiating table crowded with real fights over trade, technology, and fentanyl. Xi didn't cross an ocean just for the porcelain.

Trump wants real concessions, not another photo album. He's done with handshake agreements that fall apart before the motorcade reaches the airport. The Chinese have spent years perfecting the art of promising everything and delivering almost nothing. This time, the pressure has to stick. Stalemate looms precisely because Trump is no longer willing to give away the store to keep the meeting cordial. That's not a diplomatic failure. That's called a negotiation.

The usual critics will call the summit a waste of time or complain about the costs of a grand affair. They should ask themselves why they're more comfortable seeing an American president bow to Chinese dominance than stand his ground. We didn't elect Trump to be praised in Beijing. We elected him to change the terms of the game. If that means a tense dinner and a cold farewell, so be it. The red carpet is just the opening move. The real test is what Xi carries home, and Trump has no reason to make it easy.