China or the U.S.? Two Meetings Offer Competing Showcases of Global Power. NYT > Top Stories By: David Pierson 1 September 2026 at 12:56 As Xi Jinping gathered with the leaders of Russia and Iran, Europe challenged the Trump administration at the G20, offering a split-screen view of a changing world. © Vyacheslav Oseledko/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images; Sam Wolfe/Reuters/