President Donald Trump has long tried to portray himself as something of a strongman on China, though his tough talk and trade wars are often undercut by his remarkably accommodating nature toward Xi Jinping.

Trump praises Xi during a Beijing trip as key conservative allies warn him to take a tougher line on China over security, agriculture, tech and pharma ties.

With his approval ratings dented by his entanglement in the Middle East, Trump's hotly anticipated trip to China — the first by a US president to America's main strategic rival…