I think that Xi Jinping has lost control of the Chinese military,

and I think that he has lost some influence among civilian CCP leaders.

We have seen a number of unexplained disappearances.

As rumors grow that Xi Jinping is losing power,

I'm sitting down with China analyst Gordon Cheng to get his read on what's going on.

Producer prices in July were down for the 34th straight month. And that shows you the state of the

Chinese economy. In this episode, we dive into infighting in Beijing, U.S. China tariff talks,

and the recent stunning destruction of a Chinese Coast Guard vessel by a Chinese Navy worship.

You can't have an accommodation with a regime that believes it must destroy it. And China's regime

believes it must destroy us. This is American Thought Leaders and I'm Yanya Kelleck.

Gordon Chang, such a pleasure to have you back on American Thought Leaders.

Thank you so much, Jan.

We're going to talk about communist China.

Of course, we're going to talk about the realities of the economy, some big changes,

kind of leadership struggles and things like this within the CCP.

But before we go there, this bizarre

event where a Chinese Navy ship basically destroyed a Chinese Coast Guard ship and the U.S.

is sending ships into the region. What's going on there?

On Monday, a Chinese Navy destroyer actually cut the bow off a Chinese Coast Guard cutter.

Both of those Chinese vessels were chasing a Philippine Coast Guard cutter near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

Scarborough is really important. It's very close to the main Philippine island of Luzon.

It guards the mouths to both Manila and Subic Bays, very strategic. The Chinese want it,

...