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Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the United States on Friday, departing Washington after talks with the Biden administration. Senior US government officials saw him off at the airport, where a 21-gun salute was fired. The send-off is being noted as a ceremonial gesture, with observers weighing what the visit signals for future US-China relations.

The United States and China have reached a trade deal to lower tariffs on roughly $30 billion worth of "non-sensitive goods", following a meeting between President Trump and President Xi this week. The agreement is expected to reduce prices on a range of consumer products, including small appliances, toys and holiday items, and is drawing wide attention as a step toward easing trade tensions between the two economies.

China has issued its official press release on the Xi-Trump meeting held at the White House, ahead of any comparable US statement. Chinese-speaking observers note the readout is short but unusually dense, and are parsing its wording closely for signals on trade and bilateral ties. Attention is now on what the American side's own account will say and whether the two versions diverge.

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from a China-led cross-border currency platform, according to the Financial Times. The move is seen as a setback for Beijing's efforts to build alternatives to the dollar-based global payments system, and observers are weighing what it signals about the Gulf kingdom's financial alignment with Washington versus its deepening economic ties with China.

ASML, the Dutch maker of advanced chipmaking equipment, says it is not selling its machines in Europe and has warned the region risks falling behind the United States, China and India in semiconductors. The remarks are drawing attention in tech and business circles, with debate over what they mean for Europe's industrial strategy and ambitions to build a domestic chip industry.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has questioned Russia's status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, arguing that Moscow took over the Soviet Union's seat in 1991 without a vote. He contrasted this with China, where the UN formally decided that the People's Republic of China would represent the country. His comments fuel ongoing debate about whether Russia's seat is legitimate.

Iran's president has stated that all Iranian money held in China has been frozen, according to an emerging report circulating on prediction and news platforms. The claim, if confirmed, would have significant implications for Iran's economy, which has relied on Chinese purchases of its oil and credit lines as sanctions limit access to Western financial systems. Details about the amount involved, the reason for the freeze, and Beijing's response remain unclear.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for Washington, in what is described as his first state visit to the US capital since 2015. President Trump is expected to greet him personally on the tarmac rather than at the White House, a gesture some observers read as a sign of warmth ahead of high-stakes US-China trade and diplomatic discussions.

US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a 'great meeting' after the two leaders sat down at the White House. Speaking to reporters before boarding Marine One with Xi for a brief tour, Trump offered a positive assessment of the talks. The leaders' discussions are being closely watched for signals on trade and the broader US-China relationship.

Following this week's summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, China has frozen Iran's money held there, according to claims circulating widely. Commentators note the significance: China previously bought around 90% of Iran's oil exports before Trump's blockade, so the move is being read as a major diplomatic shift and a sign of changed global alignments.

Elon Musk said Chinese AI models are generally outstanding and that China leads the world on performance per unit of compute. The remarks were carried by the South China Morning Post alongside comments in which he also praised Xi Jinping's leadership, drawing wide attention and debate over whether the praise reflects genuine technical assessment or diplomatic flattery.

The United States and China have agreed to establish bilateral trade and investment councils in place of one-off summits, according to reports circulating widely on prediction and news platforms. The shift suggests both countries want a standing mechanism to manage trade disputes and economic cooperation rather than relying on irregular high-level meetings. Details on membership and timetable have not yet been announced.

Two giant pandas have left China on a flight to Zoo Atlanta, where they will live on loan from the Chinese government. The transfer continues Beijing's long-standing practice of "panda diplomacy," using the animals to strengthen ties with other countries. The pandas are expected to become a major draw at the zoo, and the loan is being read as a gesture in US-China relations.

Chinese regulators are considering letting ByteDance and Alibaba purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information picked up by Reuters. The potential approval would mark a shift in Beijing's stance on access to advanced US semiconductors amid ongoing trade tensions and export restrictions, and is drawing attention from tech and markets watchers.

President Trump said he brought Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the National Archives to compare the founding of their two countries, remarking that US history spans 250 years while China's stretches back some 6,000 years. The remarks drew attention for their contrast between American and Chinese civilisational timelines, and for the unusual framing of a presidential meeting centered on historical comparison rather than policy.

The Chinese government has signaled it may allow companies such as Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase Nvidia's new RTX Pro 5500 chips, according to a report by The Information citing people familiar with the matter. The potential approval would mark a notable opening for US chip access to Chinese tech firms amid ongoing export restrictions.

China has called on the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Iran and Cuba. The demand was reported by BRICS News, which covers developments involving the BRICS bloc. Beijing has long opposed unilateral American sanctions, arguing they violate international law and harm civilian populations, and it maintains close economic and diplomatic ties with both Tehran and Havana.

China has carried out joint naval and air exercises around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The drills come amid ongoing territorial tensions in the waterway, where China's claims overlap with those of neighbouring countries including the Philippines and Vietnam. The show of military force is likely to draw criticism from claimant states and watchful attention from the United States.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Iran's economy will collapse "probably within the next 2 weeks," claiming Tehran will make its final oil deliveries to China and then have "NOTHING." He argued Iran is growing desperate for a nuclear deal as sanctions squeeze its oil exports, framing economic collapse as leverage pushing Tehran toward negotiations with Washington.

A joint statement issued after Donald Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping includes wording on the Strait of Hormuz, drawing attention because Beijing agreed to language on a waterway far from its usual sphere of focus. Commentators highlighted the passage as a notable concession or signal in US-China relations, with the full statement published by China's foreign ministry.

Elon Musk, in a new interview with CCTV Finance, said he generally recommends people visit China as much as they can, citing the country's many attractions. He described taking the bullet train from Beijing to Xi'an as a great experience and complimented the train stations. The remarks are drawing attention as Musk again speaks positively about China's infrastructure.

China has rolled out AI-powered weed-killing machines across large areas of farmland. Each machine combines cameras, artificial intelligence and lasers: a vision system scans plants while AI distinguishes crops from weeds, allowing targeted destruction of weeds without damaging crops. The machines have already entered operation, and the technology is drawing attention as a potential alternative to chemical herbicides in large-scale agriculture.

At least a dozen Chinese banks plan to wind down their retail leveraged precious-metals trading services, according to a widely shared report. The move restricts retail investors' access to leveraged gold and silver products at a time when demand for physical precious metals in China is described as surging.

China will open four high-speed rail lines with a combined length of more than 1,100 kilometers on Monday, according to China State Railway Group. The new lines extend high-speed rail service to smaller cities and counties and create faster routes across the country, expanding one of the world's largest rail networks.

China opened four major high-speed railway sections to traffic on Monday, expanding the world's largest high-speed rail network and improving transport links across several regions. The move underscores the country's continued heavy investment in rail infrastructure, with state media highlighting the improved connectivity as a boost for regional development and travel.

Elon Musk has given a new full interview to CMG, China's state broadcaster, covering a broad range of topics. The discussion touches on Xi Jinping, the Tesla Shanghai factory, the Cybercab rollout, the pace of AI breakthroughs, Grok, SpaceX and Tesla data for real-world AI, and Chinese AI models and the compute gap. The interview is drawing attention for Musk's engagement with Chinese leadership and industry at a moment of high US-China tech tensions.

Footage circulating shows Ethiopia has taken delivery of Chinese-made FK-2000 short-range air-defense systems, with vehicles reportedly moved from West Shewa in Oromia region toward Amhara, where government forces are fighting rebels. The deployment signals Addis Ababa is reinforcing air defenses for the Amhara campaign and deepening its reliance on Chinese military equipment amid ongoing internal conflict.

Donald Trump reportedly arranged a flypast of fighter jets intended to impress Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting. Commentators note that Xi's expression appeared unimpressed, prompting online discussion about whether the display landed as intended and what it signals about the dynamic between the two leaders.