President Donald Trump, left, attends a state banquet with President Xi Jinping of China in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times) By DAVID PIERSON Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Central Asia this week with a message for a world increasingly unsettled by President Donald Trump: China has friends and influence, and is prepared to help shape what comes next. The scene unfolded at a security summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where Xi gathered with the…
