China’s Xi Jinping would be forgiven for feeling confused. Donald Trump accused China of “raping our country” during his election campaign. Next week Mr Xi will be feted by the US president at his so-called winter White House in Mar-a-Lago.

Though Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday that their meeting would be “a very difficult one”, the confusion lies within his administration. As Mr Trump discovered on healthcare, the gap between campaign rhetoric and reality is vast — especially on the nature of US-China trade. The Chinese have the advantage of knowing their own mind. Mr Xi’s main goal is to avert a trade war. Amid continued internal battles between White House protectionists and free traders, Mr Trump’s mind remains unsettled.

Though he has almost no China background, Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law, is leading the US preparation for next week’s meeting. His counterpart is Cui Tiankai, China’s ambassador in Washington. That, alone, gives China an edge.