9/28 | Why has China's economy slowed so dramatically, and what realistic policy options do Chinese authorities have to improve the economy’s trajectory? Join @KennedyCSIS for a discussion on the financial roots of China's economic slowdown and what it means moving forward. Register:

The Trump administration "thought they could use massive unilateral pressure to force China to make concessions, ​and that did not occur," said Scott Kennedy, an expert on the US-China economic relationship at Washington-based think tank CSIS. "Now this is Xi Jinping's world, and we're all living in it."

📆 Later this week: What did the Trump-Xi summit deliver, and where does the U.S.-China relationship go from here? Join @CSISFreeman’s @edgardkagan, @CSISCBE’s @KennedyCSIS, and Dr. Bonny Lin of @ChinaPowerCSIS for a live @CSISGeopolitics State of Play discussion examining the summit’s outcomes and what they mean for the relationship ahead. ⏰ September 25 | 9:00–10:00 a.m. EDT 🔽 Register:

There's no greater pleasure at @CSIS than to be on the "Trade Guys" podcast. In this episode, I speak with Trade Guys Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller about this week's Trump-Xi summit, tariffs, the truce, the Board of Trade, the Board of Investment & more!

Following President Trump and President Xi Jinping’s May summit in Beijing, the two leaders are set to meet again at the White House. CSIS experts offer analysis on a range of issues expected to be on the agenda. Learn more:

"The other reason the summit will not fail is because expectations have been whittled down to almost nothing. Beijing would likely prefer a long list of deliverables and Washington a shorter list, but neither has much ambition for path-breaking arrangements and compromises," writes @KennedyCSIS. Read:

Weekend China read to prepare for the summit: “The gap between their limited ambitions in terms of likely topics and outcomes on the one hand and the challenges facing the world on the other points to a growing vacuum of global leadership.”

Whenever the leaders of the planet’s two most powerful countries get together, there is a chance to do big things. But that would require sustained commitment from both parties, which does not currently seem possible in either capital, writes @KennedyCSIS. Read:

Apply today to attend an Executive Education course on Economic Security at CSIS. U.S. economic security priorities are shifting fast, and few institutions have the tools to keep pace. This October 14-15, CSIS Executive Education is offering a two-day course for government, policy, and industry professionals looking to get a better understanding of what's driving U.S. economic security priorities right now, and how to navigate them. Scott Kennedy will be among the CSIS experts leading the course, alongside colleagues including Navin Girishankar, Rick Rossow, Aalok Mehta, Leslie Abrahams, Matt Pearl, SUJAI SHIVAKUMAR, Ph.D., and Kate Koren. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and include a short entry form, statement of interest, brief bio, and resume. Learn more and apply:

Did you know Iceland had the top score of internet freedom in 2025? What country is No. 1? Despite all the attention to US-China competition, neither country is ranked no. 1 across a variety of indicators measuring societal, economic and governance performance. Learn more in Nina Gohel's blog post:

Weekend China read to prepare for the summit: “The gap between their limited ambitions in terms of likely topics and outcomes on the one hand and the challenges facing the world on the other points to a growing vacuum of global leadership.”

Expectations on the Trump-Xi summit are appropriately, if unfortunately, low. "This is a great power competition tempered by interdependence, a rough balance of power, and a need by both to handle challenges at home." For more on my take, see:

“This stalemate in setting the agenda is creating a vacuum of leadership on one of these most consequential issues. The result may mean few if any guardrails on AI and the global competition."

SAVE THE DATE: Monday, Sept 28, 9-10 am. "Takeaways from the Trump-Xi Summit: The Economic Security Angles​" Tune in for a convo on AI, supply chains, dual-use tech, energy, clean-tech & more with my @CSISEST colleagues: @mazzocco_ilaria, @CSISInnovation Sujai Shivakumar, @CSIS_Trade Phil Luck and Kate Koren, and Lauryn Williams.

New from me: Some argue there is no point in pacing the AI frontier until China cooperates. But Beijing is unlikely to take American calls for restraint seriously unless Washington is willing to restrain itself. If the United States wants effective AI diplomacy with China, what it does at home may matter as much as what it says at the negotiating table. I’m delighted to partner with @ReadTransformer for my first-ever cross-posted Substack essay—a look at how Beijing is approaching U.S.-China AI diplomacy, and what Washington needs to do to make that diplomacy more credible and effective.

It's one of those moments when China feels very much like a different world. Despite all the interest in the U.S. on high-profile AI warnings, companies in China are far more focused on other things, such as whether AI can actually make money Full story here: