Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Chas Freeman: Trump Goes to Beijing After Historic Defeat in Iran
May 13, 2026
Chas Freeman, former Assistant Secretary of Defense and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is an experienced diplomat focused on U.S.-China relations. He discusses Trump's tactical trip to Beijing and its commercial aims. They cover trade, AI, and aerospace talk. They debate the Iran campaign as a strategic defeat and how Gulf states and China are reshaping global order.
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Nixon's China Opening Was Strategically Engineered
- Freeman recalls Nixon's 1972 China opening as strategically transformative and protective.
- He participated as Nixon's translator and contrasts that careful, strategic preparation with Trump's hastily arranged visit.
Business And AI Will Dominate The Agenda
- Trump will seek commercial wins like Boeing sales and soybean market recovery.
- Freeman highlights AI as a likely topic, noting China uses open software for practical AI while the US pursues closed systems for AGI.
Iran War Creates A U.S. Tzugzwang
- The Iran war created a diplomatic tzugzwang without good U.S. options.
- Freeman doubts China will help extricate the U.S. despite shared interest in open Strait of Hormuz.
