Trump-Xi meeting likely to avoid fate of the Trump-Kim summit. Although U.S.-North Korea talks collapsed last month in Hanoi, any such meeting between President Trump and President Xi would serve mostly as a capstone to in-depth agreements between both sides. "The nature of the negotiation is much different,” Cheng Li told The New York Times. “Both sides will have a much better understanding in advance of whether there is a chance of success.”

China's harsh words evince a diplomatic strategy. In recent months, Chinese diplomats have voiced their displeasure toward policies and actions within numerous international settings. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Ryan Hass says the behavior is not "a pattern of misstatements and slips of the tongue."

Xi Jinping conducts political balancing act at annual "Two Sessions" in Beijing. Ahead of the annual gathering of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Cheng Li told the Associated Press that Xi Jinping faced a "delicate situation" politically.