Victor Davis Hanson says Trump holds ‘all the cards’ in China talks
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President Donald Trump holds “all the cards” in negotiations with Beijing, according to Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson.
Hanson argued Friday that America’s energy dominance, economy and AI growth allow Trump to negotiate from a position of strength.
“All the data shows Donald Trump is holding the cards,” Hanson said on “The Ingraham Angle.” “It could be [as] He can be as generous as he wants, but he has all the cards and they have none.”
Trump left China on Friday after the two-day summit and made his first visit to this country since November 2017. The two world leaders were initially scheduled to meet at the end of March, but the outbreak of conflict in Iran delayed the meeting.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China, during a high-level summit between the two leaders on May 14, 2026. Xi warned that mishandling the Taiwan issue could lead the US and China into “conflict”. (Brendan Smialowski – Pool/Getty Images)
Hanson also noted that factors such as China’s declining birth rate, its heavy dependence on foreign oil and the United States’ success in keeping Beijing’s influence out of the Western Hemisphere are clear indicators that Trump has the upper hand.
“Not China [going to] Be an actor. And if it’s a player, [going to] “It could happen with the permission of the United States,” Hanson said.
He contrasted modern concerns about China with past global regimes, including older American concerns about the Soviet Union and Japan.
“China is the last stage we should all be sad about, but this is [going to] They will face the same fate as other so-called superpowers.[d]” said Hanson.
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President Donald Trump speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump expressed optimism about progress on trade during the trip, saying aboard Air Force One: “We had a great stay. It was a great time. President Xi is an incredible guy. We made a lot of great trade deals.”
The president also said China has offered to help advance negotiations with Iran.
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But important issues appear to be left unfinished, including Taiwan and the release of political prisoner and Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai.
When pressed about the potential arms package for Taiwan, Trump said he did not want to see conflict erupt with China.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect the guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Kenny Holston/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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“Nothing has changed. I will say this: I don’t want someone to be independent,” Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier. “And, you know, we have to travel 9,500 miles to get into a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”
However, Hanson argued that Trump would not give up his support for Taiwan in exchange for China’s assistance in Iran negotiations.
“They want something from us, we don’t need anything from them,” he said. “And it’s not [going to] “He will sell Taiwan to help Iran when he doesn’t need their help.”
