Beijing is quietly dictating the trade war’s next moves as Trump and Xi prepare to meet

The U.S.-China trade war is shifting from a tariff fight to a contest of leverage – and Beijing is quietly setting the tempo. As President Donald Trump raises the volume, Beijing is adjusting the dials, fine-tuning export controls, critical minerals and supply chains. The move leaves Washington reacting to Beijing’s playbook instead of writing the next move, a dynamic that will hang over Trump’s next encounter with Chinese President Xi Jinping. On Thursday, the two leaders of the world's largest economies are set to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Busan