President Donald Trump's bet that he could tame China's rise through a mix of personal charisma and deal-making prowess has faltered in the fourth year of his presidency, giving way to the most hostile period of bilateral relations in decades and a pitched conflict that could endure for a generation.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping – who toasted their first meeting at Mar-a-Lago in 2017 over what Trump boasted was "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake" – have not spoken since March. Tensions over the coronavirus pandemic have exposed Trump's claims of friendship with Xi, the most ruthless leader since Mao Zedong, as expedient and hollow.

Washington Post