At the talks between the State and Defense Departments and their Chinese counterparts, the US had hoped to elevate and focus discussions with China on key issues in order to break through old sticking points. The Chinese side, however, appeared chiefly concerned with protocol -- confirming Trump's bilateral with Xi at the G20 summit in Hamburg and his state visit to China later this year. Thus, the meetings exposed the widening expectations gap between the US and Chinese governments, and led Trump to take action.
