As Donald Trump arrived in China to a lavish ceremony and diplomatic fanfare, a deeper conversation unfolded back home—one centered not just on trade, but on artificial intelligence, espionage, critical minerals, and a growing geopolitical battle that some warn could shape the future of the world.
In a recent discussion with Glenn Beck, geopolitical analyst Melissa Chen argued that while the public often focuses on headlines and rhetoric, Trump’s broader strategy toward China may be far more calculated than many realize.
“The president knows,” Chen said when asked whether Trump understands China is not America’s ally. “Donald Trump has been speaking up about China, actually, since 2011.”
The Battle Behind the Trade War
According to Chen, Trump’s approach has focused less on fiery public statements and more on strategic economic positioning. She noted that Trump broke with years of bipartisan consensus that engagement with China would eventually liberalize the communist regime.
Instead, she argued, China leveraged globalization to expand its influence while simultaneously hollowing out portions of American industry.
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“Trump has been consistent on noticing that China was responsible for disrupting the global trading system, de-industrializing [America] and shipping American jobs overseas,” Chen said.
The conversation also highlighted China’s dominance in rare earth minerals and critical supply chains—resources vital for advanced military technology, AI systems and national defense infrastructure.
“China has about 70% of the world’s critical minerals,” Chen said.
China, Iran and the Battle for Global Leverage
Another major focus of the discussion centered on Iran and China’s deep dependence on Iranian oil—something Chen suggested gives the Trump administration unexpected leverage in ongoing geopolitical negotiations.
“But the other thing that Trump really wants from China is some kind of indication that China would help on the Iran issue,” Chen explained. “And the reason for that is that China is actually very dependent on Iranian oil.”
According to Chen, roughly 12% of China’s oil comes directly from Iran, while nearly half flows through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz. She argued that sanctions and instability surrounding Iran have quietly placed pressure on China’s economy and manufacturing systems.
“Twelve percent of China’s oil is coming from Iran. Fifty percent of China’s oil comes from the Strait of Hormuz from other parts of the Gulf,” Chen said. “So, choking off Iranian oil has been—China’s suffering quietly. They don’t really want to show that they’re suffering.”
AI, Global Control and the Race for Influence
The discussion took a sobering turn as Beck and Chen examined the growing race for dominance in artificial intelligence.
While Chen acknowledged that the United States still maintains an advantage in chip technology and AI model innovation, she warned that China’s true strength lies in scale and implementation.
“What China wants to do is if they get more people hooked on their models or hooked on their AI systems, then they set the norms,” Chen said. “They set the norms and standards for AI.”
Espionage, Infiltration and America’s Wake-Up Call
Perhaps the most alarming portion of the conversation centered on allegations of Chinese infiltration within the United States.
Chen described what she called a “breathtaking” level of espionage activity occurring across multiple sectors, from universities and local governments to military operations.
“The scope and depth of this infiltration is breathtaking,” Chen warned. “It’s in every domain.”
Beck argued that many Americans fail to recognize the long-term strategic nature of the threat.
“If this holds and we can solidify everything, in 10 years America is a different place,” Beck said regarding Trump’s geopolitical strategy. “People will look back and go, ‘That was the turning point.’”
A Prophetic Warning for the Church?
Scripture repeatedly warns of kingdoms rising against kingdoms, global economic systems and the ultimate emergence of a one-world government.
In an era where surveillance, digital systems and international alliances are rapidly reshaping the world order, we are quickly being reminded that true security will never be found in governments, economies or artificial intelligence—but only in Christ.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
