Trump-Xi Summit in Washington Matters Less Than Tensions in Western Pacific

Come mid-September, the eyes of the world will be on Washington, when President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet for their next summit. Analysts will scour the proceedings for clues about the course of the relationship. But to grasp what’s happening and what’s most significant, watch the Western Pacific. That crucial, contested region is where the geopolitical ambitions of China and the US meet head-on, and where the clash for primacy grows ever more intense.