{"id":2578466,"date":"2026-03-11T08:05:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-is-dismantling-xis-china-dream-one-piece-at-a-time\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T08:05:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:05:41","slug":"trump-is-dismantling-xis-china-dream-one-piece-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-is-dismantling-xis-china-dream-one-piece-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Is Dismantling Xi&#8217;s &#8216;China Dream&#8217; One Piece At A Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-is-dismantling-xis-china-dream-one-piece-at-a-time%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2578466&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In early 2026,the piece argues,Donald Trump\u2019s bold foreign policy has delivered a sequence of blows to Xi Jinping\u2019s vision of China\u2019s global rise. Xi\u2019s China Dream-centered on an East rising while the West declines-shifted from Deng Xiaoping\u2019s cautious \u201chide your strength\u201d approach to a more assertive posture, including militarizing the South China Sea, pressuring neighbors, and expanding arms exports to the Global South. After years of a Western-led path of managed decline, 2026 marks a reversal: Xi purged a top PLA commander, signaling insecurity within China\u2019s military leadership, while Trump moved aggressively on multiple fronts that exposed weaknesses in Chinese capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Key events cited include Trump\u2019s raid that captured Venezuela\u2019s Nicol\u00e1s Maduro shortly after a Chinese delegation visited, and the paralysis seen in Chinese defense systems during the operation, underscoring China\u2019s limited reach. The United States also asserted control over Venezuela\u2019s oil, challenging Chinese investments, and Panama annulled long-standing canal-port contracts, limiting Chinese access at the canal. In a broader confrontation, the U.S. and Israel conducted strikes on Iran,considerably disrupting a portion of China\u2019s oil imports (Iran and the Middle East collectively supplying a large share of China\u2019s oil). Iran\u2019s retaliation and warnings around the Strait of Hormuz, along with reported failures of Chinese-made air defense in Iran, Venezuela, and elsewhere, further erode China\u2019s perceived credibility and future arms sales.Beijing\u2019s largely diplomatic response, prioritized by economic concerns, contrasts with the efficacy of its rivals and highlights gaps in China\u2019s ability to shape global order. the author concludes that China is still far from matching the United States in military reach, alliances, currency influence, and soft power, casting doubt on the inevitability of Xi\u2019s \u201cChina Dream\u201d and suggesting 2026 could be a turning point in these dynamics. <\/p>\n<p>Author: Helen Raleigh.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>We are barely into March 2026, yet President Donald Trump&rsquo;s bold foreign policy has already delivered a series of body blows to Xi Jinping&rsquo;s grand vision for China&rsquo;s global dominance.<\/p>\n<p>Since assuming power in 2012, Xi has <a href=\"https:\/\/china.usc.edu\/node\/21227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">promoted<\/a> the &ldquo;China Dream&rdquo; &mdash; a nationalist narrative of national rejuvenation that envisions China supplanting the United States as the world&rsquo;s preeminent superpower. Central to this is his conviction that the &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/diplomacy\/article\/3153379\/china-says-east-rising-and-west-declining-has-it-been\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">East is<\/a> rising and the West is declining,&rdquo; a belief that has shaped over a decade of CCP propaganda, military buildup, and assertive diplomacy. Xi discarded Deng Xiaoping&rsquo;s prudent &ldquo;hide your strength, bide your time&rdquo; approach in favor of an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.city-journal.org\/chinas-propaganda%2520campaigns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">assertive foreign policy posture<\/a>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/04\/23\/how-beijing-is-exploiting-the-pandemic-to-expand-its-global-power\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">militarizing<\/a> the South China Sea, coercing neighbors like the Philippines and Vietnam, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baiguan.news\/p\/where-does-china-rank-in-global-arms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">expanding arms exports<\/a> to build influence in the Global South.<\/p>\n<p>For years, this seemed prescient. The United States, under Presidents Obama and Biden, along with European allies led by leftist leaders, has taken a path of <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/opinion\/marco-rubio-america-is-not-interested-in-polite-managed-decline-of-the-west\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">managed decline<\/a>, plagued by open border immigration, falling birthrates, identity erosion, and economic drag from green policies. The Covid-19 pandemic (originating in China) halted Trump&rsquo;s first-term growth momentum, seemingly accelerating Xi&rsquo;s timeline.<\/p>\n<p>But 2026 has brought a stark reversal.<\/p>\n<p>Xi began the year with a stunning <a href=\"https:\/\/helenraleigh.substack.com\/p\/the-loneliest-man-in-zhongnanhai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">purge<\/a>: removing General Zhang Youxia &mdash; his longtime ally and the PLA&rsquo;s most senior uniformed officer &mdash; from the Central Military Commission in January. Accused of &ldquo;serious violations of discipline and law&rdquo; (code for corruption and disloyalty), Zhang&rsquo;s ouster signals deep insecurity. Even Xi&rsquo;s inner circle is not immune, raising doubts about the PLA&rsquo;s cohesion and readiness amid ongoing military modernization.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Donald Trump kicked off the year by <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2026\/01\/07\/trumps-maduro-capture-is-a-warning-for-china-stay-out-of-our-hemisphere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">capturing<\/a> China&rsquo;s closest ally in Latin America, Venezuelan leader Nicol&aacute;s Maduro and his wife, in a precise raid, merely hours after Maduro held a meeting with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/chinese-diplomats-arrived-venezuela-talks-185529692.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">high-level Chinese delegation<\/a>. Chinese-built defense systems suffered &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jenniferzeng97\/status\/2007540184028504139\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">catastrophic paralysis<\/a>&rdquo; during the raid, exposing significant flaws in Chinese military technology and marking an embarrassing setback for Xi.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration has also taken control of Venezuela&rsquo;s oil industry, threatening China&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/chinas-oil-investments-venezuela-2026-01-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">billions<\/a> of dollars&rsquo; worth of investments in the country and the access to oil. Yet, Beijing offered only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/eng\/xw\/fyrbt\/fyrbt\/202601\/t20260103_11797170.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rhetorical support<\/a> for Maduro; no real support materialized. This lack of action exposed China&rsquo;s limited reach: allies get words, not protection.<\/p>\n<p>Days later, Panama&rsquo;s Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/business\/logistics\/panamas-high-court-rules-against-hong-kong-firm-running-canal-ports-714c23c8?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcGOWxuNwmE7wRHiFdeHe5oIwUfg9S58sTecgN74mGK52SV8dwYQ4hK&amp;gaa_sig=PXEAURVRmEYcPE6JF3fISB9C1JKJaAe4nuO-3KTY40aHtZLpe_0KtRJ42LM_HlrmtCHjaJDyuveTxHfoGe4koA==&amp;gaa_ts=69a899bd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">annulled<\/a> longstanding contracts dating back to 1997, which included a 25-year extension granted in 2021. These contracts allowed a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings to operate two key container ports at the entrances to the Panama Canal. By Feb. 23, Panama seized control of those ports. This is seen as a victory for the Trump administration&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/06\/trumps-deal-is-only-the-first-step-at-countering-chinas-strategic-moves-in-panama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">efforts<\/a>, which began in 2025, to reduce Chinese influence over the canal. CK Hutchison is often regarded in Western analyses as having ties to Beijing, despite being a Hong Kong-based private conglomerate.<\/p>\n<p>The trifecta culminated in late February, as the United States and Israel conducted joint military strikes against Iran, successfully <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.ph\/o\/uDm0A\/https:\/asia.nikkei.com\/spotlight\/iran-tensions\/iranian-state-media-confirms-supreme-leader-khamenei-is-dead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">eliminating<\/a> over 40 of the regime&rsquo;s top leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, during the early hours of the operation. While President Trump&rsquo;s stated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/videos\/president-donald-trump-highlights-the-crucial-mission-objectives-of-operation-epic-fury\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">objectives<\/a> for this military campaign primarily focus on Iran, it has also significantly affected China.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/02\/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">13-14 percent<\/a> of China&rsquo;s annual seaborne oil imports come from Iran, making it China&rsquo;s third-largest supplier, behind Russia and Saudi Arabia. The broader Middle East and Gulf region, which includes both Iran, accounts for 40-50 percent of China&rsquo;s oil imports. Last year alone, China imported <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/02\/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5 million barrels<\/a> of crude oil per day via the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the military strikes, Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guard has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/irans-revolutionary-guards-tell-ships-passage-through-strait-hormuz-not-allowed-2026-02-28\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">warned<\/a> ships to avoid passing through the Strait of Hormuz and has attacked oil tankers in the area. As a result, China&rsquo;s access to affordable oil from the Middle East has been restricted. Essentially, within two months, China has lost two important oil suppliers, which together represented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/03\/02\/iran-us-strikes-china-oil-supply-charts-00806415\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17 percent<\/a> of its oil imports.<\/p>\n<p>The situation regarding oil prices could not have come at a worse time for China, as its economy is already facing significant challenges: the property market continues to decline, domestic consumption is weakening, and youth unemployment remains elevated at more than 20 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to Xi Jinping&rsquo;s troubles, the made-in-China surface-to-air missile system that Iran recently acquired failed to intercept or significantly disrupt incoming missiles and aircraft from the U.S. and Israel, including advanced stealth platforms like the F-35 and B-2 bombers, as well as stand-off weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Compounding the humiliation: Chinese-supplied air defense system (e.g., HQ-9B variants) in Iran <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/defence\/international\/did-chinas-hq-9b-fail-iran-big-questions-after-us-israel-strikes\/articleshow\/128914854.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportedly<\/a> failed to protect Iranian sites from stealth aircraft and missiles. Similar underperformance of Chinese-made weaponry has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneycontrol.com\/world\/why-are-chinese-arms-under-scrutiny-after-reported-failures-in-pakistan-venezuela-and-iran-article-13847346.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">observed<\/a> in Venezuela during U.S. operations and in Pakistan during its brief conflict with India. China relies on arms exports to build geopolitical influence, particularly in the Global South and to counter Western dominance. These exports also help secure resource deals, such as oil ties with Iran and other countries. Battlefield flops erode the regime&rsquo;s credibility and future sales prospects.<\/p>\n<p>China further undermines its international standing by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/wesleyhill\/2026\/03\/03\/why-china-wont-help-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">limiting<\/a> its response to mere diplomatic condemnation and calls for a ceasefire. Such muted response reveals a pattern: Beijing prioritizes economic interests and self-preservation over ally security.<\/p>\n<p>These events reveal significant gaps in Xi Jinping&rsquo;s pursuit of superpower status. China is still far from matching the United States in terms of global military presence, alliance formation, currency influence, and soft power. Additionally, China is not yet able to effectively shape the international order or reliably defend its partners. These deficiencies are casting doubts about Xi&rsquo;s proclaimed inevitability of his &ldquo;China Dream.&rdquo; Xi has been eager to step into the role of a superpower for over a decade now, yet 2026 may very well be the year when Trump starts shattering Xi&rsquo;s &ldquo;China Dream.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>   Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She&#8217;s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.  Helen is the author of several books, including &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Confucius-Never-Said-Helen-Raleigh\/dp\/1499185278\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Helen+Raleigh+Confucius+Never+Said&amp;qid=1606079469&amp;sr=8-1\">Confucius Never Said<\/a>&#8221; and &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Backlash-How-Chinas-Aggression-Backfired\/dp\/1736008501\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1606006113&amp;sr=8-1\">Backlash: How Communist China&#8217;s Aggression Has Backfired<\/a>.&#8221; Her latest book is &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Not-Outsiders-Americans-political-activism\/dp\/1736008552\">Not Outsiders: Asian Americans&rsquo; political activism from the 19th century to today<\/a>.&rdquo; Follow her on Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump&#8217;s bold policy wounds Xi&#8217;s China Dream<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":536,"featured_media":2578467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/President_Donald_J._Trump_and_President_Xi_Jinping_at_G20_July_8_2017.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2578466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/President_Donald_J._Trump_and_President_Xi_Jinping_at_G20_July_8_2017.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578466"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2578469,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578466\/revisions\/2578469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2578467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}