China and the U.S. Offer Competing Showcases of Global Power

China's President Xi Jinping is on his busiest travel itinerary in seven years. This comes as both China and the U.S. stage competing showcases of global power. The U.S. and China are both seeking to assert their influence on the world stage. The U.S. is rallying allies on one stage, while China is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Central Asia.

The New York Times and the Strait Times both note that Xi's travel schedule is designed to counter U.S. President Trump's efforts to rally allies. The Herald Business attributes Trump's limitations to Xi's gains in leverage. DWS Asset Management's Frank Kelly's Geopolitical Week Ahead discusses the geopolitical implications of these moves.

The SCO summit is a key event in China's Central Asia strategy. The summit will focus on rare earth exchanges, a critical component in many modern technologies. The U.S. and China's competing showcases will affect global trade, technology, and diplomatic relations. The next steps involve the outcomes of the SCO summit and the U.S.'s efforts to rally allies.