37 mins ago - World

Scoop: Trump advisers fear China may target Taiwan in next 5 years

Xi and Trump — Photo: Huang Jingwen/Xinhua via Getty Images

Some close advisers to President Trump fear the biggest substantive result of the China summit is heightened danger that Chinese President Xi Jinping will invade Taiwan in the next five years, potentially choking off the chips used to power AI to U.S. companies.

What they're saying: Trump loved the pageantry and the special access Xi shrewdly rolled out during the Beijing visit. But the words didn't match the bonhomie. One Trump adviser told us Xi is "trying to move China to a new position where he's saying: 'We're not a rising power. We're your equal. And Taiwan is mine.'"

"This trip signaled a much higher likelihood that Taiwan will be on the table in the next five years," the adviser added.
"There's no way we can be ready economically — the chips supply chain won't be anywhere close to self-sufficiency. For CEOs, and really the economy as a whole, there's no more pressing issue than the supply chain for chips."

The big picture: Trump won praise from several CEOs for pushing very hard on Iran and Venezuela and opening markets. Some CEOs came away hopeful that their companies will get licenses to operate in China, and credited POTUS.

📈 If you're a CEO or on a CEO's team: Ask to join Jim's new weekly Axios C-Suite newsletter.

Add Axios on Google

Scoop: Trump advisers fear China may target Taiwan in next 5 years

What to read next