Remember when the GOP frowned on selling arms to enemies who are supplying other enemies?

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I7e26ew7vW8

 

Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says

…while the state department said: “US law prohibits arms sales to China and there is no offer or plan to sell arms to China.”…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/28/trump-xi-jinping-china-buy-weapons

 

From cybersecurity to AI to Taiwan, what's at stake in Trump's summit with Xi (Terry Gross, Fresh Air podcast)lll

As President Trump and China's President Xi prepare to meet, Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations explains the current state of U.S.-China relations and what to expect from this summit.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/09/23/nx-s1-5978691/from-cybersecurity-to-ai-what-at-stake-in-trumps-meeting-with-and-president-xiwhy-the-us-and-china-are-at-a-precarious-moment-in-their-relationship

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is low. Here’s why you should care : NPR

Ultimately, the U.S. can learn something about how to handle their strategic reserves from China, says Antoine Halff, non-resident fellow at Columbia University and an expert on oil markets. 

China, which has the largest oil stockpiles in the world, has dipped into its reserves since the Iran war began in February, Halff says. But China is drawing from it less because of the nation's growing fleet of electric cars, trucks and scooters. Electric transport is already displacing demand for at least 1.5 million barrels of oil a day in China, according to the International Energy Agency. 

"To manage market disruption risks, China shows it pays to have a multi-pronged approach," Halff says in an email…

 https://www.npr.org/2026/09/25/nx-s1-5965797/strategic-petroleum-reserve-low-level-venezuela

 

At Trump meeting, Xi Jinping lays out terms to avoid US-China military conflict

“We should coexist in peace. China and the United States, as two major countries, stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation. Our two militaries should maintain regular dialog and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.”

 With such conditions in place, Xi said, “the Thucydides trap can be overcome”, refering to the phenomenon, defined by the Greek historian, of tensions that arise when an emerging power challenges the dominance of an established power. 

Xi invoked the phrase in his meeting with Trump in Beijing in May, asking the US president how he planned to avoid it. 

His proposals for lessening tensions – which also included the invitation of 100,000 young Americans to visit China on student exchanges – come amid a period of intense competition between the two powers over artificial intelligence and trade, with each side imposing tariffs on the other…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/24/xi-jinping-trump-china-cooperation-thucydides-trap

 

America’s AI push in Southeast Asia faces a China problem - POLITICO

“China has always been desperate to get our AI chips. They’ve set up elaborate ways to smuggle them,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a co-sponsor of the Chip Security Act, said at a press conference Wednesday. “We can and must both maintain our lead on AI by restricting China’s access to our technology. 

Vivek Chilukuri, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a former Capitol Hill staffer, said there’s “strong bipartisan consensus in Congress that we should not be allowing Chinese companies or entities to buy American chips or access American chips.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/24/america-southeast-asia-china-ai-chips-01088982

 

Peter Thiel slams pope’s AI encyclical as gift to Chinese Communist Party - POLITICO

“I’m not saying he was an agent of the communists, but he was at least acting as a useful idiot for the CCP,” Thiel added…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/24/peter-thiel-slams-popes-ai-encyclical-as-gift-to-chinese-communist-party-01091850

 

Trump’s on defense against a more powerful Xi Jinping - POLITICO

Xi “won’t bend a finger to help Trump on Iran, but he will try to make Trump feel important, like they’re the two guys who are running the world,” said Liza Tobin, former director for China at the National Security Council during Trump’s first term…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/23/xi-jinping-trump-china-summit-01089122

‘The scientific, technical term is BS’: Inside the new Bessent-China AI hotline - POLITICO

“The dialogue mechanism is basically Bessent and He Lifeng — it’s not a formal body of experts,” said a person briefed by an administration official. 

“The scientific, technical term is BS,” said a second person familiar with the mechanism…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/22/new-ai-safety-mechanism-is-a-channel-between-bessent-and-his-chinese-counterpart-01086967

 

Hill investigates after F-35 parts diverted to Hong Kong

The incident raises the possibility that top secret weapons technology may have been exposed to a foreign adversary — including China.

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/18/congress-f-35-china-investigation-01083647 

Raimondo on AI: 'You're not going to beat China if you have destabilizing unemployment' - POLITICO

The United States will lose the artificial intelligence race with China if companies allow the powerful technology to upend the American economy, former Biden Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Wednesday. 

“People say all the time, ‘We have to beat China.’ Sign me up for that mission. I want to beat China too,” Raimondo, a Democratic former Rhode Island governor, said during POLITICO’s Decoded Summit in Washington. “You’re not going to beat China if you have destabilizing unemployment. That is a weaker America which will lead to regulations.”…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/16/raimondo-on-ai-youre-not-going-to-beat-china-if-you-have-destabilizing-unemployment-01078972

Could AI really wipe out humanity – six experts spell out the risks

There have been some shocking claims in recent days about AI safety: we face a 10% chance of doom; AIs are worse than nukes; a “botnet” threatens the entire internet; it’s all a big tech psyop. Below, we look at six claims and reactions to them… 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/15/could-ai-really-wipe-out-humanity-and-hijack-the-internet

 

A new report finds many Chinese provinces are reducing their use of coal : NPR

China is the world's largest emitter of planet-warming pollution. But a new report this week finds the country is transitioning away from fossil fuels including coal...

 https://www.npr.org/2026/09/09/nx-s1-5958668/a-new-report-finds-many-chinese-provinces-are-reducing-their-use-of-coal

China’s falling emissions amid Iran war spark hope of decarbonisation watershed

Oil consumption plummets and EV sales soar as analysts say demand may not fully return even if crude price falls…

 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/03/china-co2-emissions-iran-war

 

Trump Is Importing Beef China Rejected

China rejected a 22-ton shipment of contaminated beef, but a controversial Trump administration policy might bring meat from the same origin directly to American supermarkets. In this video I cover why the beef was found to be dangerous by China,, alarming border inspection gaps, and how new tariff waivers are sparking massive backlash from U.S. cattle ranchers.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-wIz4s2Xs0

 

Leaders of China, Russia, India among world leaders meeting at summit to counter U.S. influence | PBS News

Along with Russia, China has presented the SCO as an alternative to Western-aligned organizations like the G7, and in recent years has wanted to expand the scope and influence of the organization, pledging development and financial assistance. 

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that the organization has successfully "explored a new path for regional cooperation." Beijing has consistently promoted the idea of an alternative world order with Russia's support...

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/leaders-of-china-russia-india-among-world-leaders-meeting-at-summit-to-counter-u-s-influence

 

From mixed martial arts to mechanical dogs: the World Robot Conference 2026

More than 3,000 products were shown at the 2026 World Robot Conference in Beijing as China showcased its rapidly growing robotics industry. 

The event, which ran from 19-23 August, showcased the latest advances across the robotics industry, from humanoid robots to embodied intelligence and cutting-edge components…

 https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2026/aug/25/from-mixed-martial-arts-to-mechanical-dogs-the-world-robot-conference-2026-in-pictures 

 

'Bizarre strategic disaster': 4-star general says Iran 'will be a nuclear power because of this war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbfwnzoVX3s 

 

War is not a video game #history #historyshorts

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HfmO_aR8M_s

The race for tech supremacy: The U.S. vs. China (Terry Gross, Fresh Air podcast)

China produces at least 70% of the world’s drones, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells. And with the U.S. stockpile of munitions diminished from the Iran war, would the U.S. have what it needs to defend Taiwan if China invaded? 

Terry Gross talks with New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos about his latest story, “The Future Made in China.” 

“The irony here is that we are in some ways beholden right now to the Chinese factory in order to produce the munitions that we need to defend American interests from China. That’s the exquisite problem that we've found ourselves in,” Osnos says.

Interview: 

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5929415/the-race-for-tech-supremacy-the-u-s-vs-china