On Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific, Michael Sobolik unpacks what leverage President Donald Trump might have as he arrives in Beijing, why the Iran war isn’t the “four-dimensional chess” anti-China strategy, and what Xi Jinping’s “Christmas wish list” could look like. He also warns about the artificial intelligence race hiding in plain sight and the moral necessity to include political prisoners and human rights in the president’s discussions with Xi.
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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22, 2025. (Getty Images)