By Laurie Chen, Michael Martina BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When the leaders of some of the world's largest companies flocked to Beijing for a business forum last month, their main purpose was a coveted meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The economy grew steadily from January through March, but U.S. tariffs pose a risk for China in the coming weeks and months.

As President Donald Trump’s trade war locks the world’s two largest economies on a collision course, nations are being forced to choose between China and the United States