Inside Beijing's Strategy: The Trump-Xi Summit, Taiwan & the Tech War with Chris Johnson

Inside Beijing's Strategy: The Trump-Xi Summit, Taiwan & the Tech War with Chris Johnson

From Intel at the Edge by Special Competitive Studies Project - SCSP

March 25, 2026 · 33 min · Episode 17

About this episode

Chris Johnson discusses Beijing's strategy and priorities ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, focusing on the tech war and Taiwan.

With the Trump-Xi summit approaching, former CIA senior China analyst Chris Johnson joins “Intel at the Edge” to give an unvarnished assessment of Beijing's priorities, Xi Jinping's mindset, and how China is navigating an increasingly unpredictable America. Chris draws on over two decades in the US intelligence and foreign affairs communities to explain what Xi really wants from this summit, how the rare earth standoff reshaped the bilateral relationship, and why China's long-term focus is breaking America's technological chokehold — not winning a diplomatic photo op.

People in this episode

Guest: Chris Johnson

Topics covered

  • China strategy
  • US-China relations
  • technology war
  • Trump-Xi summit
  • Taiwan
  • Xi Jinping

Keywords

  • Beijing
  • Trump-Xi summit
  • Chris Johnson
  • technology war
  • Taiwan
  • Xi Jinping
  • rare earth
  • US relations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CIA

Products: rare earth

Places: Beijing, America, Taiwan

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