What America can gain if Trump goes to China

President Trump reportedly wants to visit China within his first 100 days in office.

- BONNIE S. GLASER

While the White House has not yet announced any details, planning for the trip may already be underway. The Chinese leadership under President Xi Jinping is unlikely to agree to a date until it is confident of a positive outcome, and an escalation of the current tariff battle could derail the meeting altogether.

Americans should welcome talks between Mr. Trump and his biggest rival. We should not expect, nor should American negotiators seek, a grand bargain that tries to address numerous unrelated economic and security issues. Instead, Mr. Trump and his negotiators should attempt to make progress on a discrete set of objectives that advance American interests. Whatever the outcome, this is not a Nixon-in-China moment. The geopolitical landscape is radically different from that of the early 1970s. Americans should look beyond the bluster to what Mr. Trump could really accomplish.

The timing is opportune for this kind of focused negotiation. While China is a formidable strategic competitor, it is not in a position of unquestioned strength. It faces significant economic challenges, including a volatile real estate market, mounting government debt, weak consumer spending, a rapidly aging population and a slowdown in growth. This should give Mr. Trump leverage, but not as much as some experts expect. Mr. Xi views China's domestic problems as short-term irritants and considers the United States and the American-led world order to be in inexorable decline.