Trump Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Xi

This episode unpacks Xi Jinping’s high-stakes Washington visit, discussions of “constructive stability,” and tensions over Taiwan, AI, and Iran.

Host:

James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guests:

Julian Gewirtz, Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

Bonny Lin, Director of the China Power Project and Senior Adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

We Discuss:

• Why Xi Jinping has chosen this moment for his first visit to Washington in a decade, and what his concept of “constructive strategic stability” would actually require of both sides.
• What President Trump’s plan to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews signals about Washington’s current view of the relationship.
• Whether hosting a lavish state visit forty days before the midterms is a political risk for Trump and his party.
• How Beijing aims to lock in a truce on its own terms, from Taiwan arms sales to the pace of diplomacy.
• Whether a pending $14 billion arms package and stalled presidential transits are eroding Taiwan’s confidence in U.S. support.
• What a U.S.-China AI dialogue can and can’t deliver, and why Dario Amodei’s call to “pace the frontier” lands differently in Beijing.
• How China’s purchases of Iranian oil are shaping Iran’s resilience, and whether Washington’s threats against Chinese banks are credible.
• What Xi’s recent diplomatic tour—and his skipping the UN General Assembly—reveals about the world order Beijing is building.

Mentioned on the Episode:

Dario Amodei, “We Must Pace the Frontier,” darioamodei.com

Julian Gewirtz, “Is Trump Really Giving Xi a State Visit 40 Days Before the Midterms?” Paper Tiger

“Taiwan Relations Act (H.R. 2479),” U.S. Congress

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-rolls-out-the-red-carpet-for-xi

Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.