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A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Trump’s meetings with Xi during his visit have promoted mutual understanding, deepened trust, advanced cooperation and injected “stability” into the world, according to Chinese state media. “The two heads of state also reached important consensus on properly handling each other’s concerns and agreed to strengthen communication and coordination on international and regional issues,” the spokesperson said. Xi and Trump agreed on a new framework of “constructive, strategic stability” for their countries, the spokesperson added, referring to a diplomatic framework described previously as focused on managing differences and limiting competition with an eye toward maintaining stability and peace.  

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has emphasized friendship and cooperation in China–US relations during a meeting with American business leaders accompanying US President Donald Trump in Beijing. Li held talks with executives including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on the sidelines of Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said China and the United States had been able to maintain frank and smooth dialogue and communication and had actively safeguarded a stable and healthy bilateral relationship despite international turbulence. Trump and Xi may meet twice more later this year Li added that cooperation between the two countries is necessary for “mutual success and shared prosperity.” With inputs from  Al Jazeera

Foreign ministers from BRICS countries began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday as the expanded bloc grapples with divisions over the Iran war, rising oil prices and wider global economic uncertainty. The meeting brings together top diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with newly added member states. It comes at a time when the conflict in Iran has disrupted global energy supplies and pushed up oil prices, while also coinciding with U.S. President Donald Trump’s talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are attending the discussions. China is represented by its ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi remains in Beijing during Trump’s visit. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the talks would focus on global and regional challenges, as well as ways to strengthen cooperation among member countries. Opening the meeting, Jaishankar said BRICS could play a stronger role in helping developing countries deal with rising pressures, including high energy, food and fertilizer prices, along with health and financial challenges. He said the global situation is going through “considerable flux” and added that emerging economies increasingly expect BRICS to act as a “constructive and stabilizing force.” Originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was created as a platform of major emerging economies seen as an alternative to Western-led institutions like the G7. South Africa joined in 2010, and the bloc expanded further in 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025. The grouping has tried to expand its global influence and push for a greater voice for developing countries in international decision-making. It has also gained support in parts of the Global South, where many countries have criticized Western-dominated financial systems. However, internal divisions remain a major challenge. India and China continue to compete for regional influence, while member states often differ in their foreign policy alignments with the West. Russia’s war in Ukraine has also exposed deep differences within the bloc. The expansion of BRICS has further complicated consensus-building, as countries with competing regional interests now sit at the same table. Tensions have become more visible amid the Middle East conflict. Iran and the United Arab Emirates are both BRICS members despite holding opposing positions in regional disputes. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday that internal disagreements over the conflict had prevented the bloc from issuing a unified position. Kazem Gharibabadi told the Press Trust of India that one member country had pushed for language condemning Iran, making consensus difficult. “We want India’s BRICS chairship to be successful. It is not a good approach to send a signal to the world that BRICS is divided. One country is insisting on condemning Iran,” he said.

The United States and China are seeking to repair economic damage caused by a prolonged tariff war that sharply reduced trade between the world’s two largest economies. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are meeting in Beijing as both sides aim to stabilise strained relations after a turbulent 2025. A decade-long trade conflict has significantly cut US-China trade from the boom years of the 2000s and 2010s, forcing companies to restructure supply chains. Many US firms have shifted production to countries such as Vietnam and India, while Chinese exporters have expanded into Europe and Southeast Asia. Trump pauses to observe grand welcome in Beijing Despite tensions, both economies remain highly interdependent. “The idea of China being totally independent of us and us being totally independent of China is a fiction,” said former US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The summit is expected to focus on stabilisation, with limited policy announcements. A trade truce reached in October is likely to be extended, while China may increase purchases of US soybeans, beef and Boeing aircraft. Washington has also floated plans for a Board of Trade. Tariffs, which averaged 3.1% in 2018, remain near 48% today. US-China trade has fallen from 13% of US global trade in 2016 to 6.4% last year, with Mexico and Canada now the top partners. The US deficit with China dropped from $377 billion in 2018 to $168 billion last year, while China posted a record $1.2 trillion global surplus. Both sides have also shifted supply chains and imposed restrictions on chips, rare earths and critical materials as they seek a more stable but competitive trade relationship.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the administration of US President Donald Trump of trying to  “usurp” influence over the global energy market. Lavrov said Washington’s strategy is aimed at pushing Russian energy companies such as Lukoil and Rosneft out of international markets as part of a broader plan to dominate global energy flows. “The United States has adopted several doctrinal documents, one of which states that it must dominate global energy markets,” Lavrov said in an interview with  Media. Trump pauses to observe grand welcome in Beijing He added that the US objective is “quite clear,” alleging that Washington seeks to bring all major energy supply routes under its control. Lavrov’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions, as the US and Iran continue separate blockades around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s energy supplies pass. With inputs from Al Jazeera

Three hundred youngsters waved miniature American and Chinese flags in front of themselves and then over their head in unison. “Welcome, welcome! Warm welcome!” the children chanted in Chinese. U.S. President Donald Trump greeted dignitaries after deplaning, then stopped and grinned, taking in the scene. He didn’t answer questions, instead climbing in a limo on the way to his hotel. The president has nothing more on his public schedule until Thursday. Following him off the plane were Trump’s son, Eric, and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law, as well as assorted travelers, including Space X chief Elon Musk.  

U.S. President Donald Trump has arrived in Beijing for his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a restless moment for a world worried about war, trade and artificial intelligence. A red carpet was rolled out for him after Air Force One landed. The president was to be greeted by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng; Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to Washington; Ma Zhaoxu, executive vice minister of foreign affairs; as well as the U.S. envoy to Beijing, David Perdue, according to the White House. The welcoming ceremony includes some 300 Chinese youths, a military honor guard and a military band.

US President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for crucial talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the Iran war, trade tensions and US arms sales to Taiwan expected to dominate discussions. The main bilateral meeting and formal banquet are scheduled for Thursday, but Chinese authorities rolled out a grand welcome for Trump upon arrival, including a reception led by Vice President Han Zheng and senior officials, alongside a ceremonial guard and youth delegation. Speaking before departure, Trump highlighted the significance of the meeting, describing the United States and China as the world’s leading powers. Despite projecting confidence, the visit comes at a sensitive time for his administration, amid domestic concerns over inflation and the ongoing Iran conflict. Trump is seeking progress on trade, including expanding Chinese purchases of American goods such as soybeans, beef and aircraft. Washington is also pushing to establish a new “Board of Trade” mechanism aimed at managing economic disputes and preventing a renewed escalation of the tariff war that was paused under a one-year truce last October. However, the Iran war remains a pressing backdrop. The conflict has disrupted global energy markets, particularly through tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. While Trump said Iran may not be a primary focus of talks, it continues to weigh heavily on his domestic agenda. Taiwan high on the agenda Taiwan is expected to be a central issue in the discussions, with Beijing strongly opposing US plans to supply weapons to the self-governed island, which China considers part of its territory. Trump confirmed he would raise an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan that was approved last year but not yet implemented. His approach toward Taiwan has drawn scrutiny, with questions over whether Washington might adjust its level of support. Taiwan’s strategic importance has also grown due to its dominance in semiconductor manufacturing, a key component in global technology and artificial intelligence supply chains. Ahead of the visit, China’s state media reiterated that Taiwan remains a “red line” in bilateral relations and the most sensitive point of tension between the two countries. Trump says relationship with Xi is on solid footing Trump expressed optimism about long-term ties with China, suggesting both sides could maintain a stable relationship for decades. He also indicated plans to encourage greater access for US businesses in China during his talks with Xi. Despite this optimism, analysts say China may enter the meeting from a relatively stronger position, particularly in areas such as technology restrictions and tariff negotiations. Separately, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks on economic issues in South Korea ahead of the summit. Trump is also expected to propose a trilateral nuclear arms agreement involving the US, China and Russia. However, China has previously shown reluctance to join such a pact, given the significant gap between its nuclear arsenal and those of Washington and Moscow. The high-profile summit is being closely watched globally, though expectations for major breakthroughs remain limited.

Israeli drone strikes on multiple vehicles across Lebanon on Wednesday killed at least 12 people, including a woman and her two children, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The ministry said seven separate strikes targeted vehicles, including three along a major highway south of Beirut. While it confirmed the overall death toll, it did not provide a detailed breakdown of casualties in each vehicle. According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, two of the strikes hit a key highway linking Beirut to the southern port city of Sidon, while another targeted the town of Saadiyat near the busy route. These attacks alone left eight people dead, including the mother and her two children. Another strike near the northern entrance of Sidon in the early afternoon killed one person and injured another, the Health Ministry said. Three additional drone strikes on vehicles in southern Lebanon claimed three more lives. An Associated Press photographer reported seeing the bodies of three victims at strike sites near the coastal towns of Barja and Jiyeh. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in several areas of southern Lebanon, hours after warning residents of six villages to evacuate. The attacks come as Lebanon and Israel are set to hold another round of direct talks in Washington on Thursday, with the Trump administration seeking to ease tensions between the two sides, which have remained in a state of war since 1948. Meanwhile, cross-border hostilities have continued despite a US-brokered ceasefire reached on April 17. Hezbollah said it carried out further attacks on Israel, including drone strikes, as both sides continued to exchange fire. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expressed growing concern over escalating clashes near its positions, warning that peacekeepers are increasingly at risk. UNIFIL said a suspected Hezbollah drone exploded داخل its headquarters in Naqoura on Tuesday, following similar incidents earlier in the week. No casualties were reported, though some facilities were damaged. The current Israel-Hezbollah conflict began on March 2, when the Lebanese group launched rockets into northern Israel shortly after US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Since the start of the conflict, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 2,896 people have been killed and 8,824 injured.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday announced that RS-28 Sarmat, Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missile, was successfully test-launched and described it as the most powerful missile in the world. Putin said the nuclear-capable missile, also known in the West as “Satan II,” will be placed into combat service by the end of this year. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” he said, claiming that its multiple nuclear warheads have more than four times the combined power of similar Western missiles. The launch is part of Russia’s long-running programme to modernize its nuclear forces. The Sarmat is designed to replace the Soviet-era Voyevoda missile, which has been in service for decades. Putin has frequently highlighted Russia’s nuclear capabilities since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022, warning Western countries against increasing military support for Kyiv. Just days earlier, Putin said the war in Ukraine was nearing its end. Since coming to power in 2000, Putin has overseen a major upgrade of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, including new land-based missiles, nuclear submarines and strategic bombers. The Sarmat programme began in 2011. Before Tuesday’s launch, the missile had only one publicly known successful test and reportedly suffered a major explosion during a failed test in 2024. Putin said the missile has improved accuracy and can travel more than 35,000 kilometres, including along suborbital paths, making it harder to intercept with missile defence systems. The Sarmat is one of several advanced weapons unveiled by Putin in 2018. Others include the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, the Oreshnik missile, the Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile. Putin said these weapons were developed in response to US missile defence systems, which Russia sees as a threat to the strategic balance between Moscow and United States. The last major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the United States expired in February, leaving no limits on the two countries’ nuclear arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years and raising concerns about a new arms race.