Description:
Donald Trump is heading to Beijing for a two-day summit with Xi Jinping, but according to Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou on The Duran, he's arriving in a far weaker position than he ever anticipated.
China has effectively won the trade wars, the US tariff strategy has been repeatedly struck down by the courts, and Iran which Trump hoped to use as leverage over Beijing has proven far more resilient than expected.
With China holding the cards on rare earths, energy, and Iran diplomacy, Beijing has little incentive to offer concessions, leaving Trump to negotiate from a position of dependency rather than strength.
Meanwhile, neocon architect Robert Kagan has published a chilling Atlantic article that, when read carefully, is quietly making the case for a full-scale US ground invasion of Iran a warning The Duran unpacks in detail.
Is Washington's neocon establishment pushing America toward its most dangerous escalation yet, and does Trump have any way out?
Timeline:
00:00:00 Introduction: Trump-Xi Beijing summit overview
00:00:31 Agenda: Iran, Taiwan, trade, and rare earths
00:00:55 Context: A difficult year in US-China relations
00:01:24 Trump's tariff problems and Supreme Court losses
00:02:10 How China won the trade wars
00:03:18 Iran factor: Trump's failed strategy for leverage
00:04:25 Trump goes to Beijing with a weak hand
00:05:24 Is Trump looking for a way out of the Iran conflict?
00:07:20 China's oil reserves and energy resilience
00:09:52 China's strategy: wait it out, like the Vietnam era
00:10:56 Chinese diplomatic style vs. the Russian approach
00:11:28 What does Trump actually want from China?
00:13:44 Kagan and Nuland: the Atlantic article decoded
00:15:32 Nuland, Ukraine 2014, and the neocon memory hole
00:17:18 Kagan's ground invasion blueprint for Iran
00:00:00 Introduction: Trump-Xi Beijing summit overview
00:00:31 Agenda: Iran, Taiwan, trade, and rare earths
00:00:55 Context: A difficult year in US-China relations
00:01:24 Trump's tariff problems and Supreme Court losses
00:02:10 How China won the trade wars
00:03:18 Iran factor: Trump's failed strategy for leverage
00:04:25 Trump goes to Beijing with a weak hand
00:05:24 Is Trump looking for a way out of the Iran conflict?
00:07:20 China's oil reserves and energy resilience
00:09:52 China's strategy: wait it out, like the Vietnam era
00:10:56 Chinese diplomatic style vs. the Russian approach
00:11:28 What does Trump actually want from China?
00:13:44 Kagan and Nuland: the Atlantic article decoded
00:15:32 Nuland, Ukraine 2014, and the neocon memory hole
00:17:18 Kagan's ground invasion blueprint for Iran
