China expert Gordon Chang warns that President Xi Jinping is currently mobilizing Chinese society and the military for a potential conflict with the United States. This warning comes immediately before a high-stakes diplomatic summit between Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

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Gordon Chang's Warning of Xi Jinping's 'Battle' Preparations

Speaking on Fox News Live, Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang claimed that the People's Republic of China is operating on two parallel tracks. While the public diplomatic narrative suggests a positive relationship between the two superpowers, Chang asserts that Xi Jinping is actively preparing both civilian and military sectors "for battle." According to the report, this mobilization is happening while the U.S. remains under the impression that the two nations are at peace.

This internal shift suggests that the diplomatic gestures seen in previous encounters—such as the May 14, 2026 , meeting in Beijing—may have been strategic distractions. Chang argues that the current period is "very dangerous" because the gap between Beijing's public rhetoric and its internal military readiness has widened significantly.

The Jordan Airbase Satellite Images and Iranian Ties

The tension is not merely rhetorical; it extends to active intelligence sharing that threatens U.S. personnel. As reported in the source, the Wall Street Journal indicated that Chinese entities provided Iran with satellite images of a U.S. airbase in Jordan prior to an Iranian attack. Gordon Chang decried this as the provision of "targeting data" that directly contributed to the deaths of American servicemembers.

This incident reflects a broader, more aggressive geopolitical strategy where China supports adversarial regimes to bleed U.S. resources. By facilitating Iranian strikes through high-tech surveillance, the Chinese government is effectively engaging in a proxy conflict, testing U.S. resolve without triggering a direct kinetic clash between the two primary powers.

Fentanyl and Espionage as 'Unrestricted Warfare'

Beyond traditional military movement, Gordon Chang claims that China is already engaged in "unrestricted warfare" against the United States. This strategy involves non-traditional weapons designed to destabilize the American domestic front. Specifically, Chang points to the deliberate flooding of the U.S. market with fentanyl, alongside systemic espionage and sabotage, as evidence of a moral crisis and a calculated attack on American lives.

This approach shifts the battlefield from the South China Sea to the streets of American cities. By utilizing chemical precursors and cyber-intrusion, the Chinese Communist Party can exert pressure on the U.S. government while maintaining a level of plausible deniability that complicates a standard military response.

The Thursday Summit on AI and Trade

President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet this Thursday in Washington, D.C., to discuss critical issues including trade and artificial intelligence. This summit follows a previous meeting in May, but analysts expect the tone to be vastly different. The focus on AI is particularly volatile, as both nations vie for dominance in a technology that could redefine military superiority.

However, several critical questions remain unanswered heading into the talks. It is unclear whether President Donald Trump intends to implement the "tougher" stance Gordon Chang advocates for, or if the administration will prioritize trade concessions. Furthermore, the source does not provide a response from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the allegations of providing targeting data to Iran, leaving a significant gap in the official record.

Xi Jinping's Belief in American 'Terminal Decline'

The lack of flexibility expected from the Chinese side stems from Xi Jinping's internal perception of global power dynamics.. Gordon Chang explains that Xi Jinping believes the United States is in a state of "terminal decline" while China is on a steady ascent. this arrogance, coupled with a "turbulent Communist Party" at home, reportedly makes it nearly impossible for Xi Jinping to offer meaningful compromises during the DC smumit.

If the Chinese leadership views the U.S. as a fading power, the summit may serve less as a negotiation and more as a victory lap for Beijing. This ideological divide suggests that no matter the specific trade figures or AI regulations discussed, the underlying friction is rooted in a fundamental disagreement over who will lead the 21st century.