President Trump will travel to Beijing for meetings with President Xi on May 14-15, 2026. Brookings experts weigh in on possible outcomes of the summit and broader implications for U.S.-China bilateral relations and regional dynamics.
Patricia Kim outlines five issues to watch at the Trump-Xi summit, including a possible extension of the trade truce, potential rhetorical concessions on Taiwan, shifts in the broader U.S.-China framework, and coordination on global crises.
On April 16, Kyle Chan testified before the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. and Chinese AI strategies across compute, models, adoption, integration, and deployment. "The winner of the AI race will be determined not simply by who builds the most powerful models, but by who can most effectively translate AI into broad-based economic and societal gains," he noted.
A new Brookings China Center project examines the policy tension between welcoming Chinese clean energy technology and investment to accelerate deployment versus restricting it broadly on national security grounds. Through a series of conversations, experts with a diversity of viewpoints assess security risks, potential models for technology partnerships, and how to draw red lines without undermining competitiveness.
In the first conversation on Chinese investment and American clean energy, scholars Kyle Chan, Vanessa Sciarra, Ilaria Mazzocco, and Samantha Gross focus on the core tension between the speed and scale required for clean energy deployment in the U.S. and concerns about strategic dependence and security risks.
In the second session, Mary Gallagher speaks with experts Joanna Lewis, Josh Cartin, and Kyle Chan to clarify the risks of Chinese investment in U.S. clean energy and examine how they can be managed. The discussion covers key risks in specific domains—including hardware, data storage, EVs, and AI supply chains involving China—as well as the respective roles of the private sector and government in mitigating these challenges.
In the third conversation, Ryan Hass talks with experts Michael Dunne, Michael Davidson, and Kate Logan to analyze the policy environment shaping U.S. decision-making on Chinese investment. Drawing on cases across sectors, including the Ford-CATL arrangement, they evaluate which policy tools target genuine vulnerabilities and which may create confusion or unintended consequences.
Listen to 'The Beijing Brief' episodes two and three
What to know about China’s economic ambitions and its Five-Year Plan. In episode two of 'The Beijing Brief,' co-host Jon Czin is joined by Kyle Chan and Andrew Polk of Trivium China to consider Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan and China's push to move up the value chain.
Is China’s military as strong as it looks? In episode three, Ryan Hass, Jon Czin, and John Culver dive into the sweeping leadership purges and rapid military modernization that are reshaping the People’s Liberation Army.
Scott M. Moore is joining the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings as a nonresident senior fellow. He is also currently Managing Director of Global Initiatives, Research, and Strategy, Practice Professor of political science, director of the Penn Global Climate Security and Geopolitics Project, and faculty fellow of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, all at the University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining Penn, Moore was a young professional and water resources management specialist at the World Bank Group, and an environment, science, technology, and health officer for China at the U.S. Department of State. His primary research interests center on China, climate change, and emerging technologies, especially China’s role in the global biotechnology sector.
Chinese leaders tend to view U.S. interventions in the Middle East as a key driver of American decline and they have no interest in following that model.
Losing the talent competition. Yingyi Ma argues that the U.S. is losing its edge in the technology competition with China because its cultural norms, education system, and immigration constraints are weakening its ability to attract and grow talent compared to China.
How does Beijing view the Iran war?Jon Czin is interviewed by The New Yorker on how China is navigating the conflict in the Middle East and what it means for China's overall global positioning.
Xi Jinping's strategic patience on Taiwan. Mary Gallagher considers in World Politics Review how the Iran war and recent public opinion trends have changed Xi's calculus on Taiwan.
Taiwan's defense spending debate.Drew Thompson analyzes how Taiwanese President Lai may face domestic roadblocks in increasing defense spending to 3.3% of GDP, even as Taipei’s commitment to its own defense is increasingly credible.
Taiwan’s internal political divisions.Mary Gallagher examines the growing splits within Taiwan’s incumbent party, the DPP, and opposition party, the KMT, over defense spending and relations with China and the United States in World Politics Review.
EV market trade. Kyle Chan discusses the growing global EV market on the podcast "Science Friday" and compares American and Chinese EV innovation.
Beijing's expanding supply chain rules.In World Politics Review,Mary Gallagher examines how China's new expansive regulations on industrial supply chains grant the Chinese government discretion over their scope and harm entities trying to keep up with the tit-for-tat.
China's innovation ecosystem. Kyle Chan speaks on a CSIS panel on China's research and development capabilities and the implications for the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Chinese solar energy trade. Kyle Chan highlights on Marketplace why China is considering restricting exports of solar manufacturing equipment.
Chinese students' experiences in U.S. colleges. Yingyi Ma explores on the podcast "New Books in Sociology" how a new wave of international Chinese students has transformed American higher education.
About the China Center at Brookings
The John L. Thornton China Center develops timely, independent analysis and policy recommendations to address long-standing challenges related to U.S.-China relations and China's development.
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