How Trump can play a strong hand at the Beijing summit

The document analyzes the geopolitical context of a 2026 summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting China's perceived advantage due to US unpredictability and legal rulings on tariffs. It highlights the tension surrounding nuclear weapons, following the expiration of New START and US allegations of Chinese nuclear testing, while suggesting that paths for meaningful engagement on strategic stability still exist.

• China may hold a strategic advantage entering the summit because Donald Trump's unpredictability makes China appear as a more reliable partner, and a February US Supreme Court ruling deemed most of Trump's tariffs illegal.
• Nuclear weapons and strategic stability are critical agenda items following the expiration of the New START treaty in February and US accusations that China conducted low-yield nuclear tests in 2020.
• China has rejected the possibility of a trilateral arms control agreement with the US and Russia, citing the fact that its own nuclear arsenal is significantly smaller than those of the other two nations.

APA

The Council on Strategic Risks (2026). How Trump can play a strong hand at the Beijing summit. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2026/05/14/essay-how-trump-can-play-a-strong-hand-at-the-beijing-summit/

Chicago

The Council on Strategic Risks. How Trump can play a strong hand at the Beijing summit. 2026. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2026/05/14/essay-how-trump-can-play-a-strong-hand-at-the-beijing-summit/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=The Council on Strategic Risks |title=How Trump can play a strong hand at the Beijing summit |date=14 May 2026 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2026/05/14/essay-how-trump-can-play-a-strong-hand-at-the-beijing-summit/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{thecouncilonstrategicrisks2026how, author = {{The Council on Strategic Risks}}, title = {{How Trump can play a strong hand at the Beijing summit}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/2026/05/14/essay-how-trump-can-play-a-strong-hand-at-the-beijing-summit/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }