China’s Military Expansion, Support for Russia Entrench Structural Conflict With US: Analysts

While Xi touted a stable relationship with Washington, Beijing’s actions suggest otherwise.

A man drives a front loader to shift soil containing rare earth minerals for export to Japan at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Sept. 5, 2010. China holds a near-monopoly over the rare earth industry, from mining and refining to magnet manufacturing. Edited by The Epoch Times, STR/AFP via Getty Images

As Chinese leader Xi Jinping touts stable ties following his call with U.S. President Donald Trump, analysts warn that Beijing’s Indo-Pacific aggression and supply chain weaponization expose ambitions fundamentally at odds with the United States and Western democracies.

“I just had a very good telephone call with President Xi. ... Our relationship with China is extremely strong!” Trump said in a Nov. 24 post on Truth Social, noting that he and Xi discussed many topics that day, including the Russia–Ukraine war, fentanyl, and agricultural products.