US President Donald Trump on Friday concluded his state visit to China of less than 48 hours without substantial announcements on the main points of the bilateral agenda, although he described the encounter as “very successful” and “unforgettable” and said he had reached “fantastic” trade deals whose details were not disclosed. The final day of the trip, held at Zhongnanhai, the residence of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, produced as its most visible outcome an offer by Chinese President Xi Jinping to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, closed by Iran since the start of the war in late February.

President Donald Trump is kicking off the busiest portion of his three-day visit to China. It's a trip that may end up focusing more on pageantry and symbolism than major…

The power dynamic has shifted since Trump's last visit in 2017, when China went out of its way to persuade the United States to acknowledge its growing status. This time around,…