Trump's Beijing trip is going badly for the US, with China holding the stronger hand and American officials softening their tone on arrival.

• A leaked US intel report says China is using the Iran war to gain advantage over the US in military, economic, and diplomatic areas.
• Trump is arriving as a "supplicant," asking China for favors rather than making demands, even Fox News framed it this way.
• Rubio and other officials sound much more cooperative now than they did in Washington, where they talked tough on China.
• Eric Trump and tech CEOs like Musk and Jensen Huang came along, chasing AI and crypto deals; Musk's Shanghai factory means he never criticizes China.
• Chinese state media is barely covering the visit, treating it as a non-event, while cheap Chinese EVs like the BYD Seagull at $7,800 terrify US politicians who can't compete.

Outlook: The US will likely come away with few wins, and pressure to let cheaper Chinese goods in will keep growing as American wallets tighten.