Trump-Xi summit hopes, UN ‘manipulation’, stand-up comedy: 7 US-China relations reads

We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering US-China relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.1. Trump-Xi summit will be very amicable, predicts former Biden officialPhoto: AFP/Getty Images/TNSUS President Donald Trump’s focus on short-term deliverables and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bid for bilateral stability are likely to mean an exceptionally amicable summit when they finally sit down, despite “unusual” circumstances brought by the Iran conflict, former senior US diplomat Kurt Campbell said in March.Read the full story here.2. How American Jesse Appell learned to land the punchline in ChinesePhoto: HandoutIn 2012, American Jesse Appell stepped off a plane in China on a Fulbright scholarship to study an unusual subject: the art of Chinese comedy.Read the full story here.3. US faces critical shortage of China expertise within a decade, report warnsPhoto: XinhuaThe United States will face a “critical shortage” of China expertise within a decade that threatens to leave policymakers struggling to manage Washington’s most consequential strategic relationship, a report said.