The initial rush of good will between Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi might not last. China and the United States disagree on how harshly to pressure North Korea, and that rift could widen if North Korea stages another nuclear test.
In the same Reuters interview, Mr. Trump said, “We could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea.” Not the kind of soothing talk that Mr. Xi says is needed to coax North Korea into concessions.
Washington and Beijing also have stubborn disagreements over trade and China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. The United States is installing an antimissile system in South Korea that China sees as a threat to its own missile defenses.
As Mr. Trump wrote in “The Art of the Deal,” words can carry a cause only so far.
“You can create excitement, you can do wonderful promotion and get all kinds of press, and you can throw in a little hyperbole,” Mr. Trump wrote. “But if you don’t deliver the goods, people will eventually catch on.”
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