President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea at the end of the month. Whether this summit will de-escalate bilateral tensions or exacerbate them depends on who shows up. Will it be Tariff Man Trump or TACO Man Trump? Will Xi be defiant or ready to make a deal?

What we do know is that both leaders will play out their respective roles before a global audience that is choosing up sides in the ongoing Sino-American confrontational drama. And international public opinion, a measure of national soft power that was once the preserve of the United States, is now in flux. In the last year, views of the U.S. have become more negative while views of China have turned more positive .

So, at stake in the Trump-Xi summit is not just economic well-being and se

See Full Page