Sentence:  He may support China ( but he won n't ) ; he may break with China ( which would be infernally difficult and perhaps disastrous ) , or he may succeed , by all kinds of dangerous concessions , in <WSD>persuading</WSD> China to be patient . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  cause somebody to adopt a certain position, belief, or course of action; twist somebody's arm