ThinkTankWeekly

The Trump–Xi summit: can progress be made on Iran?

Chatham House | 2026-05-18 | china_indopacific

Topics: China, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, NATO, Nuclear, Russia, Taiwan, Trade, Ukraine

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English Summary

The analysis cautions that the upcoming Trump-Xi summit must not result in short-term strategic concessions for the US, which risks undermining long-term stability. China is rapidly consolidating global power, leveraging US policy shifts and increasing its assertiveness across the Indo-Pacific and in technology. Strategically, the US must prioritize addressing the immediate crisis in Iran, where China holds significant leverage, and must also focus on joint cooperation on AI. Ultimately, the US must resist political impulses and pursue a robust strategy to counter China's growing challenge to global dominance.

中文摘要

本分析警示,即將舉行的川普-習會晤不應導致美國做出任何短期戰略讓步,否則將有損長期穩定性。中國正在迅速鞏固全球權力,利用美國的政策轉變,並在印太地區和技術領域提高其能見度與主動性。從戰略角度來看,美國必須優先處理伊朗的即時危機,因為中國在此處掌握著重大籌碼;同時,也必須著重於在人工智慧(AI)領域進行合作。最終,美國必須抵抗政治衝動,制定一套強勁的策略,以應對中國對全球主導地位日益增長的挑戰。

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