Duo’s lingo: what to watch for in Trump-Xi summit

About this episode

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/07/the-trump-xi-summit-will-expose-a-dysfunctional-duo?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">meeting</a> between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will set the tone for three more this year. We examine what and what not to expect. Pepsi has been losing ground to Coca Cola recently; to catch up, it may have to become <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/04/28/coca-cola-is-trouncing-pepsi-can-the-underdog-turn-things-around?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more like its rival</a>. And this year’s Venice Biennale is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/05/08/welcome-to-a-spectacularly-fraught-edition-of-the-venice-biennale?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">uncomfortably besieged</a> by geopolitics. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent</li><li>Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Trump/Xi summit, geopolitics</li><li>Coca Cola, Pepsi, business</li><li>Venice Biennale, culture</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>