Opinion

Chill coming from Trump’s summit with Xi is proof of a new Cold War with China

Beijing summit exposed US-China rivalry over Taiwan, Iran and AI that diplomacy cannot resolve

By Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (ret.) Fox News

Published May 17, 2026 8:00am EDT

Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google

close

Video

Trump reveals China's response to releasing Jimmy Lai was 'not positive'

President Trump gave a candid response when asked about a discussion on releasing Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai during his summit with President Xi Jinping in China.

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Before President Donald Trump departed for Beijing, I warned in these pages that his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping would not simply be another diplomatic meeting about tariffs and trade. I argued it would instead expose the deeper reality now reshaping global affairs: America and China are increasingly operating within conditions resembling a new Cold War — driven by military power, economic leverage, competing technological ambitions and irreconcilable visions for world order.

The summit confirmed that assessment in ways even I did not fully anticipate.

The headlines following the two-day meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People focused on symbolism, modest trade discussions, and elaborate pageantry. Yet beneath the surface, three realities stood out. Taiwan overshadowed everything. Iran exposed the limits of Chinese cooperation. And Xi himself chose language drawn from ancient Greek warfare to remind Washington of what this rivalry ultimately means.

The summit managed tensions. It did not resolve them.

TRUMP-XI’S CHINA SUMMIT IS A DEFINING TEST FOR AMERICA IN THE NEW COLD WAR

President Donald Trump (R) and China's President Xi Jinping inspect a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Kenny HOLSTON / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The clearest signal came when Xi warned Trump directly that mishandling Taiwan could lead to "clashes and even conflicts" between the two nations. According to the Chinese foreign ministry readout, Xi declared Taiwan "the most important issue in China-U.S. relations," adding that if it is "handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the........

© Fox News