Imagine a staircase with 7,863 steps. At this very moment, thousands of Chinese are streaming to the famous Mount Tai to offer their prayers and greet the sunrise, 1,545 metres above sea level.
The mountain lies in Shandong province, south of Beijing, where it rises abruptly from the plain, facing the morning sun. In May it is at its most welcoming. The winter cold has withdrawn, while the summer heat has not yet arrived. On the summit the temperature is pleasant during the day, but chilly in the morning. Be careful, though, for spring rain can make the stone steps slippery.
For more than two thousand years, Mount Tai was an important place for China’s emperors. Here, on the Jade Emperor Peak, heaven and earth met. A Chinese ruler could not govern by force alone; he also had to show that he possessed the “Mandate of Heaven”. Mount Tai was perfectly suited to this purpose, and so the mountain became a political altar. By climbing it, the emperor could symbolically report to Heaven and say: “The realm is in order. I am the rightful ruler.”
mandag 18. mai 2026
China ramps up missile buildup for a Taiwan war
China’s accelerating missile buildup is increasingly turning industrial capacity, stockpile depth, and sustained precision-strike capability into decisive factors in the emerging military balance over Taiwan and the wider Indo-Pacific.
This month, Bloomberg reported that China sharply accelerated missile production in 2025, citing an analysis of corporate filings that showed 81 listed Chinese firms disclosed supplying key components to the country’s missile industry, more than double the number recorded when President Xi Jinping took office in 2013.According to Bloomberg, nearly 40% of those companies posted record revenues last year, with combined sales rising 20% to 189 billion yuan (US$28 billion), even as revenues among China’s 300 largest listed firms declined overall.
This month, Bloomberg reported that China sharply accelerated missile production in 2025, citing an analysis of corporate filings that showed 81 listed Chinese firms disclosed supplying key components to the country’s missile industry, more than double the number recorded when President Xi Jinping took office in 2013.According to Bloomberg, nearly 40% of those companies posted record revenues last year, with combined sales rising 20% to 189 billion yuan (US$28 billion), even as revenues among China’s 300 largest listed firms declined overall.
From indemnity to indispensability: China’s 125-year reversal
When eight foreign flags flew over Beijing in August 1900, no one in the Forbidden City could have imagined that the city would, 125 years later, host the president of the United States as a guest of honor and the president of Russia just days afterward.
The contrast is almost cinematic. In 1900, some 51,755 troops from Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States marched into the Chinese capital, looted the Forbidden City and the Old Summer Palace, destroyed volumes of the Yongle Dadian and the Siku Quanshu, and imposed the punitive Boxer Protocol of September 1901.
In May 2026, those same eight capitals — through their successors and alliances — watch as Beijing, not foreign legations, sets the choreography of great-power diplomacy.
The Boxer Protocol was a humiliation engineered around indemnity, extraterritoriality, and the permanent garrisoning of foreign troops on Chinese soil. The 2026 Trump–Xi summit was the photographic negative of that arrangement.
The contrast is almost cinematic. In 1900, some 51,755 troops from Austria-Hungary, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States marched into the Chinese capital, looted the Forbidden City and the Old Summer Palace, destroyed volumes of the Yongle Dadian and the Siku Quanshu, and imposed the punitive Boxer Protocol of September 1901.
In May 2026, those same eight capitals — through their successors and alliances — watch as Beijing, not foreign legations, sets the choreography of great-power diplomacy.
The Boxer Protocol was a humiliation engineered around indemnity, extraterritoriality, and the permanent garrisoning of foreign troops on Chinese soil. The 2026 Trump–Xi summit was the photographic negative of that arrangement.
Taiwan vows to maintain ‘status quo’
Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats-Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday.
“It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan.
The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying out its threat to annex the nation by force.
“It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan.
The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying out its threat to annex the nation by force.
ROC not subordinate to PRC, Lai says
Sovereignty is the foundation of statehood, Lai said, adding that without Taiwan, there would be no ROC, as the ROC and Taiwan have become inseparable. Without sovereignty, there would be no democracy, he said.
Regardless of how the international community refers to the nation, all terms refer to the 23 million people of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, he said, expressing hope that efforts would be made to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and democracy, and take care of its people. Lai also talked about Taiwan’s democratic pioneers and liberal academics — Free China’s co-founder and publisher Lei Chen, Yin Hai-kuang and Fu Cheng, who he said sought to use the idea of a “democratic China” to counter “communist China.”
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Regardless of how the international community refers to the nation, all terms refer to the 23 million people of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, he said, expressing hope that efforts would be made to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and democracy, and take care of its people. Lai also talked about Taiwan’s democratic pioneers and liberal academics — Free China’s co-founder and publisher Lei Chen, Yin Hai-kuang and Fu Cheng, who he said sought to use the idea of a “democratic China” to counter “communist China.”
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Nine in 10 families in China own a home. But is the property-owning dream being tested?
For the past three decades, China has been a nation of homeowners — supercharging the world’s second-largest economy and fulfilling the dreams of millions. Since the decline and eventual end of a welfare housing policy in the 1990s, government planning has coalesced with deep-seated cultural norms to create a level of private ownership unfathomable in the West.
While tens of millions of Americans are laden with tuition loans – many well into their 30s, leaving renting their only option – their Chinese counterparts start planning the purchase of their first homes straight out of university.
But a slowing economy and crisis-battered housing market could upend that.
While tens of millions of Americans are laden with tuition loans – many well into their 30s, leaving renting their only option – their Chinese counterparts start planning the purchase of their first homes straight out of university.
But a slowing economy and crisis-battered housing market could upend that.
Trump's Reversal on China Buying U.S. Farmland Angers MAGA Supporters
During his 2024 campaign for the White House, then-candidate Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to block Chinese nationals and companies from purchasing U.S. farmland as part of his “America First” agenda, and shortly after winning a second term, his Administration moved aggressively to curtail Chinese student visas.
Today, however, President Trump has reversed course on both issues, a development that threatens to isolate many in his base who view China as an existential threat to U.S. sovereignty. Trump’s pivot on the issues was drawn into focus following his visit to Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.In an interview on Friday following the diplomatic visit, Trump defended his turnaround, while offering little explanation for his change of heart.
“Frankly, I think that it’s good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture, and many of them want to stay here. I think it’s a good thing,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on May 15, defending his plan to approve some 500,000 visas for Chinese students.
Today, however, President Trump has reversed course on both issues, a development that threatens to isolate many in his base who view China as an existential threat to U.S. sovereignty. Trump’s pivot on the issues was drawn into focus following his visit to Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.In an interview on Friday following the diplomatic visit, Trump defended his turnaround, while offering little explanation for his change of heart.
“Frankly, I think that it’s good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture, and many of them want to stay here. I think it’s a good thing,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on May 15, defending his plan to approve some 500,000 visas for Chinese students.
lørdag 16. mai 2026
What was actually achieved at Trump and Xi’s ‘stalemate summit’ in Beijing?
Donald Trump’s whirlwind trip to Beijing – the first US presidential visit in nearly a decade – wrapped up with much fanfare but little clarity about what was actually achieved. Trump said on Friday he and Xi Jinping, China’s leader, “settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve”. But he didn’t provide much detail on what those solutions were.
“My guess is that despite all the ceremony and summit theatrics, that at the end of the day, this summit will not be that significant,” said Amanda Hsiao, the China director at the Eurasia Group, an advisory and consultancy business. “The core of the relationship hasn’t changed.”
“My guess is that despite all the ceremony and summit theatrics, that at the end of the day, this summit will not be that significant,” said Amanda Hsiao, the China director at the Eurasia Group, an advisory and consultancy business. “The core of the relationship hasn’t changed.”
In the hours after he departed Beijing, Trump provided more detail in an interview with Fox News about what he had discussed with China’s leader. Here is where things stand on the summit’s core issues.
Takeaways from Trump’s trip to China: Taiwan, a new framework for relationship and flattery for Xi
For three days in China, President Donald Trump was unusually quiet, not speaking to reporters much and even mostly staying off social media. Then he got on his plane home and unloaded. Trump’s trip was unexpectedly dominated by discussions about Taiwan and the notion that Washington and Beijing could adopt a new framework for managing their complicated relationship.
Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off the whirlwind visit with a warning: If Washington mishandles its relations with the self-governing island of Taiwan, the U.S. and China could end up clashing or even in open conflict.
Trump did not respond publicly, refraining from mentioning Taiwan while in Beijing. But he suggested aboard Air Force One on his way home that Xi’s staunch opposition might make him rethink a planned U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off the whirlwind visit with a warning: If Washington mishandles its relations with the self-governing island of Taiwan, the U.S. and China could end up clashing or even in open conflict.
Trump did not respond publicly, refraining from mentioning Taiwan while in Beijing. But he suggested aboard Air Force One on his way home that Xi’s staunch opposition might make him rethink a planned U.S. arms sale to Taipei.
Trump and top CEOs leave a more self-reliant China with few deals to show for it
Before leaving a two-day summit in Beijing, President Donald Trump said he had made many trade deals with China, accompanied by a cohort of “brilliant” tech billionaires.
But the details of those deals – at least on Friday afternoon in Beijing when Air Force One departed – were vague, signaling a potential shift in leverage between the world’s two largest economies since Trump’s last visit nearly nine years ago.
Investors, decrying the lack of specifics, sold off stocks. Dow futures were down more than 300 points, or 0.6%. The broader S&P 500 futures fell 1% and Nasdaq futures were 1.4% lower. With no firm resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Brent oil futures rose 3%, above $108 a barrel. Soybean futures sold off sharply after the United States spoke of a nebulous commitment from China to buy agricultural products. And bond yields rose as traders grew cautious about rising inflation.
But the details of those deals – at least on Friday afternoon in Beijing when Air Force One departed – were vague, signaling a potential shift in leverage between the world’s two largest economies since Trump’s last visit nearly nine years ago.
Investors, decrying the lack of specifics, sold off stocks. Dow futures were down more than 300 points, or 0.6%. The broader S&P 500 futures fell 1% and Nasdaq futures were 1.4% lower. With no firm resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Brent oil futures rose 3%, above $108 a barrel. Soybean futures sold off sharply after the United States spoke of a nebulous commitment from China to buy agricultural products. And bond yields rose as traders grew cautious about rising inflation.
Trump’s soft touch on China, in stark relief
President Donald Trump has long tried to portray himself as something of a strongman on China, though his tough talk and trade wars are often undercut by his remarkably accommodating nature toward Xi Jinping. And that softer approach was on full display during Trump’s Beijing visit this week.
Trump’s trip — and his comments at the tail end of it — include some notable rhetorical and actual concessions to the Chinese government. He also explicitly walked back previous campaign promises to get tough on China.
Trump’s trip — and his comments at the tail end of it — include some notable rhetorical and actual concessions to the Chinese government. He also explicitly walked back previous campaign promises to get tough on China.
Salesman Trump leaves China with very little in his bag
Few things enrage Donald Trump more than being upstaged, particularly when he is on the biggest stage of both his stints as US president — in Beijing. Though Trump World will deny that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang did just that this week, he did. And global markets know it.
Just as expected, the first visit by a US leader to the Chinese capital in eight years was huge on pomp and circumstance, light on diplomatic breakthroughs. President Xi Jinping threw Trump enough of a bone so that he can argue back in Washington that the US and China will cooperate to tamp down trade tensions and, most importantly, end the war in Iran. But the real action – and global fascination – was Trump’s US$20 trillion entourage of CEOs seeking greater access to Asia’s biggest economy. That delegation, representing a market value equivalent to China’s annual gross domestic product, stole the spotlight from the camera-hungry Trump.
Just as expected, the first visit by a US leader to the Chinese capital in eight years was huge on pomp and circumstance, light on diplomatic breakthroughs. President Xi Jinping threw Trump enough of a bone so that he can argue back in Washington that the US and China will cooperate to tamp down trade tensions and, most importantly, end the war in Iran. But the real action – and global fascination – was Trump’s US$20 trillion entourage of CEOs seeking greater access to Asia’s biggest economy. That delegation, representing a market value equivalent to China’s annual gross domestic product, stole the spotlight from the camera-hungry Trump.
Why Xi invited Trump to this highly secretive former imperial garden
US President Donald Trump spent his final morning in Beijing in Zhongnanhai — the highly secretive, tightly guarded leadership compound of China’s ruling Communist Party. Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping strolled through its pristine gardens, with Trump admiring the roses and Xi offering to send seeds before they held talks over tea and lunch.
The central seat of power in China, the venue is sometimes compared to the White House or the Kremlin. Only a handful of American leaders have ever stepped beyond the centuries-old red ochre walls that separate the compound from the rest of the capital.
Security is extremely tight, with access to the compound overseen by an elite military unit responsible for the personal safety of top party leaders. Images of the enclosure are tightly censored and obscured on digital mapping platforms.
The central seat of power in China, the venue is sometimes compared to the White House or the Kremlin. Only a handful of American leaders have ever stepped beyond the centuries-old red ochre walls that separate the compound from the rest of the capital.
Security is extremely tight, with access to the compound overseen by an elite military unit responsible for the personal safety of top party leaders. Images of the enclosure are tightly censored and obscured on digital mapping platforms.
Xi Warns Trump of ‘Thucydides’ Trap.’ What to Know About China’s Favorite Greek Reference for U.S. Relations
“The world has come to another crossroads,” Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing. Then Xi asked: “Can China and the U.S. overcome the so-called ‘Thucydides Trap’ and create a new paradigm of major-country relations?”
Xi was referring to the ancient Athenian historian and military commander Thucydides, who wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War, recounting the nearly three-decade conflict between the former Greek poleis (city-states) of Athens and Sparta. In his account, he wrote: “The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon [Sparta], made war inevitable.”
Xi was referring to the ancient Athenian historian and military commander Thucydides, who wrote The History of the Peloponnesian War, recounting the nearly three-decade conflict between the former Greek poleis (city-states) of Athens and Sparta. In his account, he wrote: “The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Lacedaemon [Sparta], made war inevitable.”
How A.I. Was the Elephant in the Room at the Trump-Xi Summit
President Donald Trump’s entourage of tech and business leaders should have placed artificial intelligence at the center of his highly-anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week. But the leaders appeared to focus more on limited questions of trade, without reaching any agreement on the future of A.I.
A lot seemed to be on the table for A.I. The talks, which concluded on Friday, took place against the backdrop of a global A.I. race that has been dominated by the two superpowers. Democratic lawmakers have raised the alarm on allowing Chinese firms to buy A.I. chips from the U.S., and the White House has in recent days accused China of mass A.I. theft. At the same time, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joined Trump on the trip at the last minute, was hoping to secure a deal to sell China Nvidia’s H200 chip, which has not been delivered to China despite U.S. approval for its sale.
A lot seemed to be on the table for A.I. The talks, which concluded on Friday, took place against the backdrop of a global A.I. race that has been dominated by the two superpowers. Democratic lawmakers have raised the alarm on allowing Chinese firms to buy A.I. chips from the U.S., and the White House has in recent days accused China of mass A.I. theft. At the same time, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who joined Trump on the trip at the last minute, was hoping to secure a deal to sell China Nvidia’s H200 chip, which has not been delivered to China despite U.S. approval for its sale.
Trump’s China Trip Underscores How Power Has Shifted East
He may have descended Air Force One late Wednesday to the cheers of schoolchildren brandishing the Stars and Stripes, and flanked by tech’s most influential tycoons, but it didn’t take long for U.S. President Donald Trump to be put in his place in Beijing.
In the first closed-door discussions of the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stinging rebuke regarding American arms sales to Taiwan, warning the superpowers could “collide or even enter into conflict” regarding the self-ruling island, over which China claims sovereignty. Taiwan, Xi said, “is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”
In the first closed-door discussions of the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stinging rebuke regarding American arms sales to Taiwan, warning the superpowers could “collide or even enter into conflict” regarding the self-ruling island, over which China claims sovereignty. Taiwan, Xi said, “is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”
torsdag 14. mai 2026
Trump offers platitudes while Xi warns of possible confrontation during China summit
Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered stark warnings about avoiding possible clashes between his nation and the U.S. on Thursday and even cautioned visiting President Donald Trump that Washington’s handling of its relations with Taiwan could lead to “conflicts” that might put “the entire relationship in great jeopardy.”
The stern tone was a sharp contrast to Trump, who opened the highly anticipated summit with Xi by praising his Chinese counterpart and declaring that “it’s an honor to be your friend.”
The contrast underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan — and suggested that Trump and Xi’s highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.
The stern tone was a sharp contrast to Trump, who opened the highly anticipated summit with Xi by praising his Chinese counterpart and declaring that “it’s an honor to be your friend.”
The contrast underscored just how far apart the leaders remain on thorny issues including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relationship with Taiwan — and suggested that Trump and Xi’s highly anticipated meetings are likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than major breakthroughs.
Live updates: Xi and Trump wrap up bilateral meeting after 2 hours of talks
U.S. President Donald Trump is in Beijing for a crucial series of meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Few breakthroughs are expected on divisive issues such as the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.
In a closed-door meeting, Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory, could bring U.S. and China to clashes or conflict, Chinese state media reported. Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has not yet moved forward with delivery.
Trump hopes to focus talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes. The visit occurs at a delicate moment for Trump’s presidency, as his popularity at home has been weighed down by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran and rising inflation as a consequence of that conflict.
In a closed-door meeting, Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own territory, could bring U.S. and China to clashes or conflict, Chinese state media reported. Trump in December authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has not yet moved forward with delivery.
Trump hopes to focus talks on trade and deals for China to buy more agricultural products and passenger planes, setting up a board to address their differences and avoid a repeat of the trade war ignited last year after Trump’s tariff hikes. The visit occurs at a delicate moment for Trump’s presidency, as his popularity at home has been weighed down by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran and rising inflation as a consequence of that conflict.
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