Donald Trump lands in China on Wednesday for a summit with Xi Jinping that analysts are calling one of the defining diplomatic encounters of his presidency. Washington’s attention has been elsewhere for much of the past year – consumed by the Iran conflict, operations in the Western Hemisphere and domestic political battles – but Beijing moves to centre stage this week. Global trade, the Taiwan question and the race for technological supremacy are all on the table. Before leaving Washington on Tuesday, Trump told reporters Iran would be high on the agenda as he promised a “long talk” with Xi on the subject. China has been working alongside Pakistan to broker a settlement, with the two countries putting forward a five-point peace framework in March that includes provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Behind the scenes, Chinese officials have been gently nudging their Iranian counterparts towards the negotiating table. Why does China want an end to the Iran conflict? Despite its public show of strength, China is eager for the war to end. Slower …