The diplomatic groundwork for a U.S.-China summit is taking shape. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India, in what would be his first trip there, before continuing to the United States for a meeting with President Donald Trump. The multiple state visits ahead of Washington are part of a push to build diplomatic clout. Diplomatic clout, in plain terms, is the standing a leader accumulates by engaging with other major powers before a high-stakes bilateral.
The India stop carries its own weight. Xi has not visited India before, and a head-of-state visit is the highest category of direct engagement between two countries' leaderships.
Multiple state visits are expected before Xi reaches Washington. No dates for either the India trip or the Trump meeting have been confirmed.