Quick Thoughts: Summit Wins, Xi’s Thucydides Trap, and China's Great Reversal

The Enemedia heard a threat. But in fact, Xi may be realizing China’s best hope is détente: the map is closing in, America is awake, and the old bluff no longer works.

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by Rod D. Martin
May 16, 2026

Donald Trump had an exceptionally good China summit this week. Xi Jinping did too. He might even realize it.

The Enemedia, of course, is filled with talk of Xi’s “Thucydides Trap” reference, and sees it as a threat. From my point of view, it appears they didn’t actually read Graham Allison’s book (but do reporters actually read books? Little evidence suggests they do). More on that in a minute.

Trump came away with important commitments: Chinese purchases of American farm goods, energy — it’s hard to attack your oil supplier — and a whopping 200 Boeing jets, with a possibility that number could rise to 750; continued progress in trade discussions; a framework for managing non-sensitive commerce; and explicit agreement that Tehran must not obtain nuclear weapons. Rest a…