Trump and Xi shook hands in Beijing, and yes, the soccer mom in all of us should appreciate that two nuclear superpowers are behaving like adults. But let's not kid ourselves :) soybeans and Boeing orders don't a détente make. JShap thinks Trump can't carry the baton; Marko says he's the only one who can land the plane he launched. Meanwhile, the CIA's running around Mexico, Cuba's running out of diesel, and AOC is sharpening her ideological fangs.

After Dark, as advertised.

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Show rundown and updates

(00:45) - After Dark banter

(01:47) - Trump meets Xi

(02:47) - Why the summit matters

(05:42) - Messaging and skepticism

(08:04) - Military intelligence complex

(09:46) - Tech split and hardware lobby

(14:05) - Globalization lessons and leverage

(20:29) - COVID and Nixon to China

(25:00) - Who carries the baton

(34:46) - China economics and engineering state

(37:54) - Consumers inflation and pain tolerance

(46:12) - Pentagon report dime framework

(46:57) - DIME Framework Roast

(47:53) - China and Hormuz Deal

(52:11) - Chinese Shipping Boom

(53:02) - Gulf Commodities Pivot

(55:11) - US China Mixed Signals

(59:12) - Mexico Relationship Flashpoints

(01:01:23) - Cuba Protests and Indictments

(01:03:27) - Do Mexicans Want Help

(01:06:02) - CIA vs Delta Force Debate

(01:12:47) - AOC Billionaire Clip

(01:19:21) - Populism and Corruption

(01:26:56) - California Race Wrap Up

Referenced in the Show:

Geopolitical Cousins is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com

Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today’s volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.

Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.com

Jacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416

Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap

Jacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe

Marko Papic is a macro and geopolitical expert at BCA Research, a global investment research firm. He provides in-depth analysis that combines geopolitics and markets in a framework called GeoMacro. He is also the author of Geopolitical Alpha: An Investment Framework for Predicting the Future.

Marko’s Book & Newsletter: www.geopoliticalalpha.com/marko-papic

Marko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-papic-geopolitics/

Marko’s Twitter: https://x.com/Geo_papic

Marko’s Macro & Geopolitical Research at BCA: https://www.bcaresearch.com/marketing/geomacro