Michael Pillsbury, one of America’s sharpest China hands, told Fox viewers this week that the relationship between President Trump and Xi Jinping has been a rollercoaster — full of sudden climbs, dangerous drops, and bluffing on both sides as each capital tests the other’s limits. Pillsbury’s steady drumbeat reminds patriotic Americans that this is not a routine state visit or a photo op; it’s a confrontation between two strategic competitors with the world’s future on the line.
The stakes on Mr. Trump’s high-stakes trip to Asia are plain: trade, tariffs, access to critical minerals, and military balance in the Indo-Pacific all hang in the balance as China responds to escalating U.S. pressure. Pillsbury has warned openly that Beijing may be preparing for a major trade fight if pressure continues, which should make every American farmer, factory worker, and small-business owner pay attention.
Pillsbury has repeatedly argued that President Trump’s approach — a mix of relentless pressure, public toughness, and the promise of a summit table — echoes Reagan-era negotiating tactics and can force real concessions if the president stays firm. That blend of deterrence and diplomacy is exactly what we need: strong posture backed by the willingness to talk only from a position of advantage, not groveling weakness.
Washington insiders admit talks with Beijing are shaky and, in places, stalled; even Treasury officials concede the conversations aren’t moving quickly enough to protect American interests. That gridlock proves one ugly truth: soft-handed engagement and kumbaya summits won’t extract structural changes from an authoritarian regime that plays a long game and cheats at trade.
On security flashpoints like Taiwan, Pillsbury and other experts rightly flag terrifying vulnerabilities — from energy dependence to supply-chain choke points — that China could exploit in a crisis. If we are serious about standing with Taiwan and defending American interests, we must build resilience now and stop pretending that wishful thinking will replace steel and strategy.
President Trump’s own rhetoric — publicly calling Xi a leader he can work with even while slamming China as a “very hostile” economic foe — is a useful show of strength and ambiguity that keeps Beijing off-balance. That deliberate ambiguity, combined with tariffs and targeted sanctions, is the playbook that wakes allies up and forces autocracies to choose between cooperation and confrontation.
Patriotic Americans should welcome Pillsbury’s blunt diagnosis: the U.S. must lead with strength, not deference. If Mr. Trump keeps America firm, unapologetic, and ready to walk away from bad deals, we can defend our sovereignty, protect our workers, and keep the peace by making the cost of aggression unbearably high for any adversary.
