Interior Secretary Burgum Says Trump Holds Strongest Position for Summit with China's Xi

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said President Donald Trump enters this week's high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the strongest position of any American leader.

Burgum appeared on Fox & Friends Tuesday to preview Trump's trip to Beijing. He argued that China's reliance on foreign resources weakens its stance in 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."

Burgum highlighted China's energy vulnerability. He credited Trump's restrictions on cheap Venezuelan and Iranian oil to China's access as boosting U.S. leverage.

"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."

Burgum noted China imports large amounts of food to feed its population, while the United States runs a surplus. "China also imports calories every day. They don't raise enough food to feed everybody in that country," he said.

"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.

The Trump administration plans to press China over its backing of Iran and Russia during the trip. U.S. officials also expect to raise China's restrictions on materials for advanced semiconductors.

Business leaders Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tim Cook of Apple will join Trump in China. In a Truth Social post, Trump said he is "very much looking forward" to the trip and called China an "amazing country" with a leader "respected by all."