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.

00:00 - Introduction & Guest Bio 

01:35 - How Important Is the Summit to Xi Jinping? 

03:17 - Xi's Real Goal: Stability Over Diplomacy 

04:41 - How Beijing Is Briefing Xi on Trump 

05:01 - Xi's Gamble: The Rare Earth Sword & Staring Trump Down 

06:07 - The Other Side: US Hegemonism Is on the Prowl 

07:13 - The Wounded Animal: How Beijing Reads America Right Now 

07:37 - Xi's Play: Buy Trump Off & Wait Him Out 

20:10 - What Xi Will Put on the Table on Taiwan 

21:18 - Xi's Real Priority: Breaking the Semiconductor Chokehold 

26:14 - Summit Timing & Xi's Return Visit Window 

27:02 - The Atmospherics: How China Stages These Meetings 

28:20 - Trump Treats Xi as an Equal — And Xi Knows It 

28:40 - "Trump Sees Xi as a Badass" 

29:57 - How Confident Is Beijing About Winning the Long Game? 

30:21 - Short Term Confident, Long Term Uncertain 

31:22 - China's Real Problems: Demographics, Debt & the Economy 

32:31 - What Keeps Xi Up at Night 

32:53 - Closing Remarks

Intel at the Edge Podcast is a product of the Special Competitive Studies Project.