A sudden change in the location of Donald Trump‘s inauguration ceremony has inadvertently saved the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from facing a dramatic and unprecedented scene. The CCP’s Vice President Han Zheng and Taiwan‘s Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu would have appeared at the same venue. This situation was seen by some as a “Two China” challenge that Trump posed for the CCP.
So, what will be the CCP’s bottom-line strategy for dealing with Trump 2.0? And what will be the possible changes in United States-China relations over the next four years?
Xi Jinping’s Strategy for Trump 2.0
According to sources within the CCP, Xi Jinping has already formulated a strategy to deal with Trump’s return and the bottom line of his willingness to make a deal with Trump.
At a meeting of the CCP’s Politburo in December 2024, Xi gave a speech titled “Overcoming the Challenges of the Trump Tornado with Great Struggle.” In this speech, Xi pointed out that Trump has two major strategic weaknesses.
- America-First Policy as a Liability
Xi described Trump’s policies as selfish and damaging to other nations, predicting backlash from allies alienated by the US’s unilateralism.
2. Short-Term Ambitions vs. Long-Term Reality
With only four years to execute his ambitious plans, Xi predicted Trump’s administration would be hasty, creating opportunities for China to exploit.
Based on these two judgments, Xi called on the entire party to promote what he calls a spirit of “proactive struggle.” He wants to seize the opportunity presented by major shifts in the international geopolitical landscape to break apart and dissolve the existing political, military, and economic alliances centered around America. This would put the US in an unprecedented state of isolation not seen since the end of World War II.
This speech has now been communicated to the county and regiment-level officials of the CCP to form a so-called strategic consensus across the entire party.
China’s Trump Deal-Making Strategy
Xi’s plan includes dividing US allies such as Europe, Japan, and Australia. At the same time, he intends to solidify ties with Global South nations through organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The CCP’s overarching goal is to leave the US isolated while cultivating global alliances.
Internally, Xi dubbed this approach “accumulating strength through great struggle and negotiating deals from a position of power.” The primary focus of any deal with Trump would be “resolving the Taiwan issue,” according to the will of the CCP.
At the expanded meeting of the CCP’s Politburo and the National Security Commission in December 2024, Xi Jinping mentioned his face-to-face talks with former President Joe Biden. During these talks, he directly demanded that Biden not only state that he does not support Taiwan’s independence but also explicitly oppose it. Additionally, Xi insisted that Biden express support for cross-strait reunification.
Targeting the Taiwan Issue
Based on this, Xi pointed out that in the struggle and negotiations with Trump, the same demands should be made directly to Trump, as these are the most important points of focus for China in any deal.
During high-level CCP meetings, Xi emphasized pressuring Trump to publicly oppose Taiwan independence and endorse peaceful unification. Xi believes such a declaration would undermine Taiwan’s morale and create conditions favorable for a swift military takeover.
To incentivize Trump, Xi has ordered ministries to signal a willingness to make concessions in areas like the South China Sea. For example, Cambodia‘s recent allowance of US and Japanese naval access to its ports — long controlled by the CCP — is seen as an olive branch to Trump’s administration.
Suppressing Falun Gong
Simultaneously, CCP State Security Minister Chen Yixin has launched a campaign to suppress Falun Gong’s overseas activities, particularly its media operations and influence in the US and Taiwan. Falun Gong-run platforms like The Epoch Times and Shen Yun Performing Arts are viewed as significant obstacles to the CCP’s propaganda and infiltration efforts.
Chen pointed out that in 2025, the focus of the CCP’s overseas suppression of Falun Gong should be on two regions that could significantly disrupt the deal-making strategy between the CCP and the US: the US and Taiwan.
He believes that the Falun Gong has become a force seriously disrupting the CCP’s propaganda and United Front Work efforts toward Taiwan. Moreover, he believes it will inevitably pose a major obstacle to establishing strategic deal-making between the CCP and the US now that Trump has taken office.
Creating and Spreading US Skepticism in Taiwan
In line with Xi’s core strategy for making deals with Trump, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the CCP has taken related actions, mainly spreading skepticism about the US in Taiwan. It promotes the notion that the US is unreliable, aiming to make this the mainstream opinion in Taiwanese society.
Additionally, the CCP aims to cultivate pro-CCP political parties and figures within Taiwan. They are particularly targeting the influence and control of members of the Legislative Yuan to create a situation favorable to the CCP.
Military Readiness and Political Influence
Furthermore, at the end of December 2024, the Chinese military held a training conference attended by high-ranking officers from its Eastern and Southern Theater Commands.
At this meeting, Zhang Youxia, the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, ordered the Chinese military to be ready to act quickly. If there are significant social disturbances in Taiwan, the military must be combat-ready in the shortest possible time.
The period before and after the 2026 local elections in Taiwan will be a time of heightened political conflict. Zhang proposed that before the 2026 elections, the Chinese military must act like thunder, always ready to fight, using any sudden large-scale social disturbances in Taiwan as a signal to launch combat operations.
Why is Taiwan the ‘Bottom Line’?
The above information was disclosed by Yuan Hongbing, a former professor at Peking University, in his latest program.
One can see from this intelligence that Xi is most obsessed with what he calls “the unification of Taiwan.” He believes that if he can “solve the Taiwan issue” during his term, it would secure his lifelong leadership and also ensure his place in history.
Why Suppress Falun Gong?
As to why the CCP would deploy a lot of resources to suppress Falun Gong, I believe this is because Falun Gong is what the CCP fears the most.
Overseas, Falun Gong practitioners were the first to argue that the CCP is not China, distinguishing between the Party, the nation, and its people. This viewpoint was later publicly endorsed by former US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, causing great alarm in Beijing.
Additionally, the English-language Epoch Times published the “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.” This report thoroughly exposes the evil nature and historical crimes of the CCP. It led to over 440 million Chinese people signing up to quit the CCP, its Youth League, and the Young Pioneers, significantly undermining the CCP’s ruling foundation.
Meanwhile, Falun Gong practitioners, most of whom are Chinese, are the hardest to bribe or infiltrate. This renders the CCP’s usual tactics against dissidents ineffective.
Will the US Counter the CCP’s Strategy?
Trump’s second term could present a historic opportunity to dismantle the CCP’s influence. However, his initial moves — such as delaying the TikTok ban and refraining from imposing harsh tariffs — have raised questions about his approach to Beijing.
If Trump truly seeks to “Make America Great Again,” addressing the CCP’s global ambitions and infiltration will be unavoidable. The CCP sees the US as its primary ideological adversary and any American hesitance could embolden Beijing.
A Pivotal Moment in History
The coming months will reveal whether Trump confronts the CCP head-on or pursues a transactional approach. With escalating tensions over Taiwan and an increasingly aggressive CCP, the stakes could not be higher. History is presenting a rare chance to weaken the CCP’s grip. It remains to be seen whether the US will seize the moment.
If Trump wants to make America great again and usher in an unprecedented golden age for the US, he cannot avoid directly addressing the CCP. The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest threat to global security. Dealing with it is essential to achieve Trump’s goals.
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Author: Jennifer Zeng
