Two of the world's most powerful nations are converging on a technology they each believe will determine the shape of the coming century, yet they cannot agree on what it means to win, what it means to be safe, or whether cooperation is even possible. The United States, led by a president who frames AI as a zero-sum contest, holds a narrow frontier advantage built on capital and talent; China, constrained by chip restrictions yet undeterred, pursues a different kind of influence through openness, robotics, and resilience. As Trump and Xi prepare to meet, the world watches a rivalry that is les