For the first time in 50 years, America was the one asking | Part 4 of 4

History Onion · 2:59

May 13–15, 2026: Donald Trump landed in Beijing with the CEOs of Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia. He met Xi Jinping at the Great Hall, at the Temple of Heaven, at a state banquet. What was signed: no treaty. What was announced: chips, Boeings, a return invite to Washington in September. And one line, from Xi at the banquet — "We must make it work, and never mess it up." Part 4 of *The China-America Bargain* — the series finale. From the 2001 WTO accession and the China Shock that hollowed American manufacturing towns, through Obama's Pivot to Asia and China's South China Sea islands, to Trump's 2018 trade war, the Phase One deal, Covid, the Huawei ban and Meng Wanzhou arrest, the CHIPS Act, Pelosi's Taiwan visit, the 2025 US-Iran war and Hormuz blockade — and finally to Trump arriving in Beijing as the side asking. Watched in order, Parts 1–4 tell the story of a single 242-year bargain. Every century begins with someone arriving in Beijing thinking they hold the cards. Some scenes are cinematic reconstructions of documented events. All quotes, dates, and sources are historically verified.