China analyst Gordon Chang says Beijing is preparing its military and civilian population for potential conflict as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare to meet Thursday in Washington.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet Thursday, Sept. 24, in Washington for their second summit this year, with trade, artificial intelligence, Iran and other points of tension expected to figure prominently in discussions between the two governments.

Ahead of the meeting, China analyst and Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang issued a stark assessment of the relationship, arguing that Washington faces a dangerous period despite public efforts by Trump and Xi to maintain productive ties.

Chang, in a warning aired Sunday, contended that Xi has been preparing both China’s armed forces and its broader population for the possibility of conflict with the United States.

“Xi Jinping keeps on talking about going to war against us… and also he’s preparing China’s society, civilian and military, for battle. And we think we’re at peace,” Chang said Sunday.” “So, this is a very dangerous period for us.”

Chang’s comments represent his assessment of China’s intentions. The upcoming summit itself is expected to cover a wide range of unresolved disputes, including trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and the continuing Middle East conflict. U.S. and Chinese officials have been holding preparatory discussions ahead of the meeting.

The summit will come approximately four months after Trump and Xi met in May and as competition between the countries over advanced artificial intelligence has intensified. AI has increasingly become an economic and national security issue for both Washington and Beijing, encompassing advanced semiconductor access, regulation, military applications and concerns about the use of AI in strategic weapons systems.

Another issue hanging over the relationship is China’s economic and technological relationship with Iran.

U.S. officials have linked high-resolution satellite imagery obtained by Iran from Chinese entities to a July 17 Iranian strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan that killed three American service members and injured four others, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. The report said U.S. officials had not accused the Chinese government itself of directly providing the imagery.

Chang pointed to the episode while arguing that Trump should take a harder approach toward Beijing.

“Whatever one thinks of the strategic discussions the United States has with China, there’s this moral dimension that China is deliberately killing Americans,” he said.

Chang said Trump must “absolutely” get tougher with China, contending that years of diplomatic engagement have not adequately addressed what he views as increasingly serious security threats.

China’s relationship with Iran is expected to be among the issues discussed when Trump and Xi meet. The broader Middle East conflict has added another area of disagreement to an already complicated relationship encompassing tariffs, technology restrictions, Taiwan, rare-earth supplies and artificial intelligence.

Chang also expressed skepticism that the two leaders will make significant progress on AI, comparing the situation with Xi’s discussions with former President Joe Biden in 2023.

He argued that domestic political considerations in China and Xi’s view of the global balance of power could make the Chinese leader reluctant to compromise.

“Xi Jinping is facing a turbulent Communist Party at home, which means that he can’t compromise. Also, he’s arrogant. He incorrectly believes that China’s on the way up and the United States is on the way down and we’re in terminal decline,” Chang explained.

“He’s not very much inclined in any event to compromise with the United States,” he added.

Chang’s characterization of Xi’s political position and motivations is his own assessment. The Chinese government has publicly advocated cooperation in some areas while opposing U.S. restrictions on Chinese technology and criticizing measures Beijing says are intended to constrain China’s development.

AI has emerged as one of the most consequential issues ahead of Thursday’s meeting. The United States has maintained restrictions on China’s access to some advanced semiconductor technology, while the two governments have also explored possible safeguards surrounding particularly dangerous applications of artificial intelligence.

Trade will also remain central. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met in New York ahead of the summit for discussions involving AI, trade and critical-mineral supplies as Washington and Beijing seek to manage economic disputes without allowing the broader relationship to deteriorate further.

Trump and Xi therefore enter Thursday’s meeting with both governments seeking agreements in selected areas while continuing to compete over technology, economic policy and national security. Chang’s warning adds to the debate over whether diplomatic engagement is sufficient to manage that competition and how Washington should interpret China’s military preparations and expanding strategic capabilities.

Original article