Before the Iran war became a quagmire, American optimism surrounding President Donald Trump’s trip to China — this Wednesday to Friday — was high. The expectation was that Trump would negotiate from a position of strength because of U.S. supremacy in artificial intelligence and advanced technology.

Now, however, as the Iran war drags into its third month and the stalemate over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues, China experts and many Americans worry that Trump, in pursuit of short-term symbolic victories on trade, particularly agriculture, and commercial aircraft, could make long-term strategic concessions to China.