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 (cfr.org/experts/james-m-lindsay), Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR

Guests:

Julian Gewirtz (cwp.sipa.columbia.edu/directory/julian-gewirtz), Senior Research Scholar, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs

Bonny Lin (csis.org/people/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/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier),” darioamodei.com

Julian Gewirtz, “Is Trump Really Giving Xi a State Visit 40 Days Before the Midterms? (juliangewirtz.substack.com/p/is-trump-really-g…)” Paper Tiger

“Taiwan Relations Act (H.R. 2479) (congress.gov/bill/96th-congress/house-bill/2479),” U.S. Congress

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/trump-rolls-…

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.