China

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.

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.

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.

Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's provocations are fuelling tensions, according to a report carried by China Daily's global edition. The accusation comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to drive friction between Moscow and Kyiv and their international partners. No further details about the alleged provocations or responses from Ukraine were included in the available report.

China said the extension of the trade truce between Washington and Beijing creates space to advance negotiations between the two countries. The remarks signal a willingness to keep dialogue going while both sides work through outstanding trade disputes. Observers are watching closely to see whether the breathing room translates into concrete progress on tariffs and market access.

China has carried out a military exercise in the South China Sea, following a confrontation near a disputed shoal. The drill comes amid ongoing tensions between Beijing and rival claimant states, notably the Philippines, over access to contested reefs and waters. The exercise is being read as a demonstration of China's readiness to assert its claims in the region.

Chinese authorities are weighing whether to permit ByteDance and Alibaba to purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information picked up by Reuters. The potential decision would mark a shift in China's stance on US-made AI semiconductors and would matter for the country's largest technology companies racing to build artificial intelligence capabilities.

The New York Times reports on the surprising reasons behind China's skepticism toward international calls for artificial intelligence safety. The piece examines how Beijing weighs competitive, political and regulatory considerations in global AI governance debates, highlighting a widening gap between Western safety appeals and China's approach to the technology.

The People's Bank of China set its daily USD/CNY central parity rate at a firmer level, a move analysts read as the central bank tightening its management of the yuan and signalling it is uncomfortable with recent currency weakness. Markets watch the daily fix closely for clues on Beijing's stance, and a stronger setting can lift the renminbi, affect regional currencies, and shift sentiment across Asian equities and commodity trades.

The Wall Street Journal reports on how the United States is working to challenge China's dominance over critical minerals, materials essential for electronics, batteries and defense technology. The piece examines U.S. strategies to build alternative supply chains and reduce dependence on Chinese exports, a growing priority in the broader economic and strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

China and the United States have reached an understanding on Iran, agreeing that the Strait of Hormuz should remain open to traffic and that Tehran must not acquire nuclear weapons. The reported alignment is notable given the two powers' usual friction over Middle East policy, and it signals shared interest in keeping Gulf oil shipments flowing and preventing nuclear proliferation.

Taiwan is moving to expand its drone capabilities as part of a wider defence overhaul, driven by growing military pressure from China. The shift points to a strategy of using asymmetric weapons like unmanned aerial systems to strengthen the island's deterrence against a potential Chinese invasion.

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.

Bill Gates said that getting countries to cooperate on artificial intelligence is more difficult than the nuclear arms negotiations of the Cold War era. He argued that AI competition, particularly between the United States and China, makes international coordination on safety and regulation harder to achieve. His remarks add to a growing debate among tech leaders and governments over how to manage AI risks globally.

US Ambassador David Perdue said President Donald Trump asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping whether China would be interested in buying American weapons. The remark, made during trade discussions between Washington and Beijing, was described as part of Trump's push to sell more US-made arms abroad and ease trade tensions with China.

The U.S. Ambassador says President Trump offered to sell arms to China, according to a New York Times report. The claim, touching on defense and international relations, has drawn attention for its implications for U.S.-China relations and arms export policy.

Two giant pandas have arrived at Zoo Atlanta, renewing one of the most visible symbols of China’s soft power abroad. China has long loaned pandas to foreign zoos as a gesture of goodwill, and their arrival in the United States is being read as a small thaw in bilateral relations at a time of ongoing political and trade tensions between the two countries.

China is considering allowing major tech firms ByteDance and Alibaba to buy Nvidia's newest chips, according to The Information. The decision would signal a shift in Beijing's stance on US semiconductor access, as Chinese regulators have previously pressed domestic companies to favour local chips amid ongoing US-China technology restrictions.

Analysis published on Defence24 argues that China is rewriting its nuclear doctrine by adopting a launch-on-warning posture, meaning its missiles could be fired on early warning of an incoming attack rather than only after impact. The shift would mark a major departure from Beijing's long-standing stance of retaining nuclear forces solely for retaliation, raising concerns about crisis stability and arms-race dynamics.

A U.S. ambassador says President Trump offered to sell arms to China, according to the New York Times. The claim has drawn attention because of the tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and security, and because arms sales to China would conflict with long-standing U.S. policy and sanctions. The report is prompting questions about what exactly was proposed and how seriously.

The US military is expanding its presence in Greenland to monitor Chinese activity in the Arctic, turning the Danish autonomous territory into a strategic lookout. The move reflects growing concern in Washington over Beijing's ambitions in the polar north, a region where melting ice is opening new shipping routes and access to resources, and where China has sought a foothold in recent years.

The American ambassador says Donald Trump asked Xi Jinping whether China would be interested in buying US-made weapons. The remark, if accurate, would be an unusual sales pitch to a strategic rival and raises questions about US export controls and arms policy toward Beijing. Details of when and where the exchange took place, and how China responded, have not been disclosed.

Analysts at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute argue that a Chinese seizure of Taiwan would be so destabilising for Japan that it could drive Tokyo to abandon its non-nuclear posture and develop nuclear weapons. The piece, published on ASPI's Strategist commentary site, frames the scenario as 'revolting for the CCP', suggesting Beijing's ambitions could trigger the very regional nuclear proliferation it seeks to avoid.

China has become the first country in the world to surpass 1,000 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, according to energy industry reporting. The milestone cements China's position as the world's dominant player in renewable energy, reflecting years of massive state-backed investment in solar manufacturing and deployment. Observers highlight the pace of growth, with capacity having expanded rapidly over the past decade, though questions remain about grid integration and reliance on coal.

China has announced a sweeping reform of its higher education system, with officials saying the goal is that 'everyone can attend university'. The plan signals a major expansion of access to tertiary education across the country. Details of implementation, funding and admission changes remain limited so far, and the announcement is drawing wide attention both in China and internationally.

China, home to the world's second most powerful military, has reportedly transferred an air-defence system derived from Russian technology and designed to counter cruise missiles to Algeria, one of North Africa's strongest military powers. The move highlights Beijing's growing arms export role and deepening defence ties with Algiers, a major buyer of Russian and Chinese weaponry.

South Korea has traditionally avoided any suggestion it could be drawn into a conflict over Taiwan, but commentary now argues that staying discreet is becoming harder for Seoul. Analysts point to rising regional tensions and pressure from the United States and China as factors complicating South Korea's carefully noncommittal position on the Taiwan question.

Reports say China may permit Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase new Nvidia chips, easing earlier restrictions on advanced semiconductor imports. The potential reversal would be significant for Chinese tech firms racing to build AI capabilities, and for Nvidia, which has lost substantial China revenue amid export controls. The reported shift is drawing attention across the tech and semiconductor sectors as observers weigh its implications for US-China trade tensions.

The United States and China are reportedly working toward a new military agreement following a summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The proposed pact would aim to establish frameworks for military-to-military communication and reduce the risk of conflict between the two powers. Further details about the scope and terms of the agreement have not been confirmed.

German-language commentary is asking why there is little or no footage of a reported return visit by China's president to the United States, contrasting this with the elaborate reception Donald Trump received in Beijing in May, complete with gun salutes, an honour guard, a military band and flag-waving children. The quip 'Betsy who?' suggests the claim circulated alongside another story that dominated attention.

China is reportedly considering easing restrictions on NVIDIA's AI chips, a shift that could reopen a major market for the US chipmaker's advanced processors. The move would carry weight for global semiconductor supply chains and US-China tech tensions, with analysts watching whether any relaxation would apply to current or next-generation chips.

China may allow Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information. The reported shift would ease restrictions that had limited access to advanced US AI hardware for two of China's largest technology companies, with implications for the AI race and US-China tech trade tensions.