U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai, the tightly guarded headquarters of China’s ruling Communist Party, in Beijing on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. | POOL / VIA REUTERS

When the U.S. and Chinese leaders sat down for their high-stakes summit in Beijing this week , the atmosphere was a far cry from the frantic damage control that had defined previous encounters. Gone was the defensive crouch of a China reeling from trade volleys.

In its place was a meticulously choreographed performance, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping sought to frame bilateral ties not as a struggle for dominance, but as a period of “moderate competition” with “manageable differences.”

By the time U.S.…