Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday morning, emerging from a two-hour session with both leaders claiming victory but harboring deep disagreements on some of the world's most volatile flashpoints.
Xi used the occasion to plant a flag on what matters most to him: Taiwan. The Chinese leader warned of potential "clashes and even conflicts" between the two nations over the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own territory. Through China's foreign ministry, Xi made clear that Taiwan represents "the most important issue in China-US relations" and signaled his intent to keep it front and center in all future discussions.
The warning underscores Beijing's fear that the Taiwan question could get buried under other contentious topics. A shooting war between the US and Iran, escalating trade disputes, and jockeying over energy markets all threaten to dominate the bilateral agenda in ways that work against Chinese interests.
Trump, meanwhile, struck a far warmer tone. He lavished praise on Xi, telling him directly: "I say to everybody you're a great leader. Sometimes people don't like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it's true." Trump noted the two men have known each other for a long time and characterized Xi as someone he respects.
That warmth extended to claimed concessions. Trump said Xi pledged China would not send weapons to Iran, contradicting recent reports that Chinese arms makers had explored supplying Tehran with military hardware. Trump also said Xi indicated China could purchase more American oil to reduce its reliance on Iranian energy.
The White House readout of the meeting emphasized discussions on market access for US companies in China and fentanyl controls, plus an agreement that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to global shipping. The Chinese foreign ministry's account made no mention of these issues, suggesting how differently each side frames the encounter.
The February strikes on Iran ordered by Trump, which killed that country's leadership and roiled global energy markets, cast a long shadow over talks meant to center on trade deals between the world's two largest economies. That military action has created friction with Beijing, which maintains close ties to Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing hard to expand domestic seafood production through industrial-scale fish farming. But a new undercover video from one of the nation's leading fish farms reveals potential cruelty to animals and environmental costs that could test Trump's farming ambitions.
Back home, several southern states are moving to redraw congressional maps in what amounts to a bare-knuckled effort to eliminate Democratic districts and dilute Black voting power. The moves come after the Supreme Court gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and some states are acting so quickly that redrawing is occurring even in jurisdictions where congressional primary voting has already begun.
Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks announced his resignation effective immediately, claiming credit for converting what he called the "least secure, most disastrous, most chaotic border" into "the most secure border this country has ever seen." His departure marks another high-profile exit from Trump's immigration enforcement team.
The Supreme Court moved to protect access to the abortion medication mifepristone, upholding nationwide mail-order availability through a shadow-docket decision Thursday.
In Miami, residents filed suit against Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis over three acres of prime waterfront property that once belonged to Miami Dade College. The lawsuit alleges the state illegally gifted the land to Trump for his proposed presidential library.
Senator Rand Paul's son William apologized Wednesday for a drunken verbal assault on a Republican congressman in a Washington DC bar, during which he reportedly declared his hatred for Jews and gay people. William Paul posted an apology on social media, saying he had too much to drink and was seeking help for alcohol problems.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi escalated tensions by insisting that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy, even as reports surfaced of a vessel being seized outside a UAE port and towed toward Iranian waters.
Missouri became the first state in more than a century to ask voters whether to eliminate the state income tax, reflecting a broader Republican push across the country to phase out income taxes entirely.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar threatened to sue The New York Times for defamation over a published essay detailing allegations of sexual abuse against Palestinian detainees in Israeli military custody.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito faces questions about potential ethics violations after government watchdog groups noted he owns stock in oil companies while participating in cases that could benefit the energy sector.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's Beijing visit is high theater masking deeper tensions: he's selling personal warmth while Xi is quietly staking maximalist claims on Taiwan, and neither side left that room closer to solving anything that matters."
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