James Kynge

Obviously, China is the biggest trade partner of Iran.

It buys by far the biggest chunk of the Iranian oil exports.

It has longstanding relationships with Iran.

It's got a 25-year economic agreement with Tehran, et cetera, et cetera.

So I think that is also what Trump is aiming at.

So, yes, I believe I wouldn't quite say that Trump is going to Beijing as a supplicant, but I definitely think that Trump has a bigger ask from the Chinese than the Chinese have of Trump.

And this is why I really do think this is historic.

The first time that we've seen an American president go to China for a summit under those conditions.

I mean, I've been covering these U.S.-China summits since the middle of the 1980s.

This is remarkable.

Remarkable.

This really is remarkable.

Thanks so much, Ed.

And I'm James King.

That's right, Alice.

It really is like the Super Bowl for us.

It's a time when all the emotions collect together and we get a chance to talk about this state of the superpower relationship.

I tell you, to me, the big thing for this meeting, and I believe this is unprecedented, is that I think for the first time ever, it is the Chinese president representing

more than the US president, that is, the person with the upper hand.

I think that President Trump goes into this meeting relatively weakened, at least compared to when he took power in January last year.