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Doug Burgum says Trump enters China summit in 'strongest position' of any US leader ever
By Madison Colombo
Published May 13, 2026
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argued President Donald Trump is entering this week’s high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the "strongest position" of any American leader.
Burgum joined "Fox & Friends" Tuesday to preview Trump’s trip to Beijing, explaining how China’s reliance on foreign resources puts them in a weakened state during negotiations.
"President Trump’s in the strongest position of any U.S. leader ever going into a discussion with China," Burgum said. "The U.S. economy is strong. China's economy is faltering. It's just a great spot."
He said China is vulnerable due to its energy dependency. Burgum pointed to Trump’s "geopolitical game" of restricting China’s access to cheap Venezuelan and Iranian oil as a key factor in bolstering U.S. leverage.
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President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands after talks at Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025, during their first face-to-face meeting in six years. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
"China is the most energy-dependent country in the world, just the opposite of the U.S., which is the most energy-dominant country in the world," Burgum said.
"Their strategic stockpile is dwindling, and their economy is faltering. They're super dependent on imported energy," he added.
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Burgum also said China imports large amounts of food to feed its population, while the United States has a surplus. "China also imports calories every day. They don't raise enough food to feed everybody in that country," he said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum reacted during a meeting with Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez at the Miraflores Presidential Palace on March 4, 2026, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)
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"We've got energy security and food security in America. China has neither of those things. He's in a great position in these negotiations," Burgum added.
During the trip, the Trump administration is expected to pressure China over its support for Iran and Russia. U.S. officials are also expected to address China’s restrictions on materials needed for advanced semiconductors.
A split image shows Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, left, and President Donald Trump, right. Burgum said Trump is entering a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the "strongest position" compared with past U.S. leaders. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Other major business tycoons are expected to accompany Trump to China, including SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook. In a post on Truth Social, the president said he is "very much looking forward" to his trip, calling China an "amazing country" with a leader that is "respected by all."
Trump visited China during his first term in November 2017. The two world leaders were originally set to meet at the end of March, but the outbreak of fighting in Iran pushed it back.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/doug-burgum-says-trump-enters-china-summit-strongest-position-any-us-leader-ever