Victor Davis Hanson: China is the latest phase that ‘we’re all supposed to be upset about’
Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson says there are ‘fundamental, existential problems’ plaguing China on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
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 artificial intelligence growth allow Trump to negotiate from a position of strength.
"All the data show that the cards are in Donald Trump's hands," Hanson said on "The Ingraham Angle." "He can be [as] magnanimous as he wants, but he has all the cards in his hand, and they don't have any."
Trump left China Friday after a two-day summit, his first visit to the country since November 2017. The two world leaders were originally set to meet at the end of March, but the outbreak of fighting in Iran pushed the meeting back.
TRUMP HEADS TO CHINA WITH THE UPPER HAND — AND XI KNOWS IT
Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump visited the Temple of Heaven on May 14, 2026, in Beijing, China, during a high-level summit between the two leaders. Xi warned that mishandling the issue of Taiwan could push the United States and China toward "conflict." (Brendan Smialowski - Pool/Getty Images)
Hanson also pointed to factors like China’s declining birth rate, its massive dependence on foreign oil and the United States' success in keeping Beijing's influence out of the Western Hemisphere as clear indicators that Trump has the upper hand.
"China is not [going to] be a player. And if it is a player, it's [going to] be with the permission of the United States," Hanson said.
He compared modern concerns over China to past global regimes, including former American anxieties over the Soviet Union and Japan.
"China is just the latest phase that we're all supposed to be upset about, but it's [going to] meet the same fate vis-a-vis us that these other so-called superpowers experience[d]," Hanson said.
TRUMP WARNS TAIWAN NOT TO EXPECT BLANK CHECK FROM US MILITARY AFTER INTENSE XI SUMMIT
President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump expressed optimism about trade progress made during the trip, saying aboard Air Force One, "We had a great stay. It was an amazing period of time. President Xi’s an incredible guy. We’ve made a lot of great trade deals."
The president also said China offered to help move negotiations with Iran along.
Major topics, however, appear to have been left unfinished, including Taiwan and the release of political prisoner and Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai.
When pressed on the potential arms package for Taiwan, Trump said he does not want to see fighting break out with China.
President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping inspect a guard of honour during a welcome 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's changed. I will say this: I'm not looking to have somebody go independent," Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier. "And, you know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down."
But Hanson argued Trump would not abandon support for Taiwan in exchange for China’s help with Iran negotiations.
"They want stuff from us, and we don't need stuff from them," he said. "And he's not [going to] sell out Taiwan for help in Iran when he doesn't need their help."
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