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Xi Jinping Immediately Lectured Trump on Taiwan Before Greeting at Beijing Summit

Judging Freedom · INTEL Roundtable w/ Johnson & McGovern - Weekly Wrap 15-May · May 15, 2026
Xi Jinping Immediately Lectured Trump on Taiwan Before Greeting at Beijing Summit
Judging Freedom
Judging Freedom
INTEL Roundtable w/ Johnson & McGovern - Weekly Wrap 15-May
"At their very first public meeting two days ago, before President Trump said a word, when President Xi welcomed him, he lectured him on Taiwan right to his face before Trump even said thank you and it's nice to be here."
Judge Napolitano highlighted that Xi Jinping opened the Beijing summit by lecturing Trump on Taiwan sovereignty before any pleasantries, signaling China's dismissive treatment of the U.S. president. McGovern and Johnson confirmed this aligned with broader Chinese protocol snubs, including sending only the vice premier to greet Trump at the airport instead of Xi himself, treatment reserved for leaders like Putin.

About this episode

Judge Andrew Napolitano hosted Ray McGovern and Larry Johnson on Judging Freedom to dissect President Trump's May 2026 Beijing summit and escalating global conflicts. Johnson revealed a White House source confirmed China flatly rejected Trump's plea for help extricating the U.S. from its failed Iran war, with Chinese officials telling Trump to "go pound sand." The panel detailed how China snubbed Trump with minimal protocol, sending only the vice premier to greet him at the airport while Xi Jinping immediately lectured Trump on Taiwan before any pleasantries. McGovern, citing intelligence sources, disclosed China and Russia both assess Trump as thoroughly unpredictable and uninformed, requiring careful handling to avoid erratic responses. The discussion turned to Iran's five non-negotiable conditions for any deal, including sanctions relief, asset return, Hormuz control recognition, reparations, and halting Israeli violence against Palestinians. Johnson warned Russia may now strike European drone factories with hypersonic Oreshnik missiles if those facilities continue producing weapons killing Russian civilians, a threat authorized at the highest Kremlin levels. McGovern predicted a full Russian offensive will end the Ukraine war by fall 2026, contradicting Western media narratives of stalemate. The episode also examined Ambassador Mike Huckabee's attacks on Tucker Carlson over Israel criticism and Marco Rubio's justifications for continuing the Cuba embargo despite mass starvation. Throughout, the panel criticized the absence of traditional diplomatic preparation, with no Sherpa negotiations preceding the Beijing summit, leaving Trump to improvise without substance.

Key takeaways

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