Tomorrow Donald Trump lands in Beijing. Since he does not read books and lacks knowledge about many things, he may know precious little about what happened in 1972, when Richard Nixon broke the ice and opened a new chapter in relations between the United States and China.
It was almost unbelievable. On a chilly February day 54 years ago, a smiling Nixon walked into Mao’s study and said: “Mr. Chairman! History has brought us together. The question is whether we, with our different ways of thinking, can achieve a breakthrough that will serve not only our two countries, but the whole world.”
“Seize the hour, and seize the day!” Mao muttered. He was ill and weakened, and could barely speak.
The United States and China had long been bitter enemies and had no diplomatic relations. But now there they sat, Mao and Nixon, each in an armchair, smiling at one another. The meeting lasted just under an hour. Days later, they agreed on a joint communiqué that created the framework for their future relationship. The visit did not end in full normalization, but it was nevertheless a strategic breakthrough for both countries.
tirsdag 12. mai 2026
Why the EU sees Chinese solar tech as a major security risk
The European Commission has moved to block EU funding for Chinese-made solar technology over fears it could pose a security threat to Europe's power grid and even cause major blackouts.
The decision, which was confirmed on May 4, reflects growing concern in Brussels that Europe's dependence on Chinese green technology is making the bloc vulnerable to security threats. The commission's funding ban is focused on solar inverters, which are often described as the brain of a solar power system. These solar inverters are the devices that convert solar energy into usable electricity. They are connected to the internet and can often be accessed remotely for maintenance and software updates.
The decision, which was confirmed on May 4, reflects growing concern in Brussels that Europe's dependence on Chinese green technology is making the bloc vulnerable to security threats. The commission's funding ban is focused on solar inverters, which are often described as the brain of a solar power system. These solar inverters are the devices that convert solar energy into usable electricity. They are connected to the internet and can often be accessed remotely for maintenance and software updates.
US: LA area mayor to plead guilty to acting as Chinese agent
A mayor of a city in Southern California has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of acting as a foreign agent of the Chinese government, US officials said on Monday. Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, was charged in April to a single felony count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government, the US Attorney's Office in the Central District of California said on Monday.
The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison in the US. A19-page plea deal was unsealed with the charging document on Monday. Wang resigned as mayor within hours of her case being made public, Arcadia City Council's website showed. She was elected to a five-person city council in November 2022 and assumed the position of mayor in February, on a rotating basis.
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The charge carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison in the US. A19-page plea deal was unsealed with the charging document on Monday. Wang resigned as mayor within hours of her case being made public, Arcadia City Council's website showed. She was elected to a five-person city council in November 2022 and assumed the position of mayor in February, on a rotating basis.
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Christians decry persecution in India's heartland
On a humid Sunday afternoon in July last year, a small gathering of Christians inside a modest home in India's Uttar Pradesh state was interrupted by a mob. "At least 50 to 60 people associated with a Hindu right-wing organization came when people were receiving a religious message," said Jaynendra (name changed), the pastor leading the prayer.
What followed, he said, was chaos. The mob "created a ruckus and closed the prayer hall," Jaynendra said.
The gathering, held inside his home in the Shahjahanpur district, was not unusual. Like many Christians in northern India, Jaynendra hosts what is known as a house church, a quiet form of worship common among small and impoverished Christian communities. But in recent years, such gatherings have increasingly drawn the attention of Hindu right-wing vigilante groups who accuse Christians of carrying out forced conversions.
India's Christians make up just over 2% of the country's population, compared to around 79% for Hindus and over 14% for Muslims, according to the 2011 census.
What followed, he said, was chaos. The mob "created a ruckus and closed the prayer hall," Jaynendra said.
The gathering, held inside his home in the Shahjahanpur district, was not unusual. Like many Christians in northern India, Jaynendra hosts what is known as a house church, a quiet form of worship common among small and impoverished Christian communities. But in recent years, such gatherings have increasingly drawn the attention of Hindu right-wing vigilante groups who accuse Christians of carrying out forced conversions.
India's Christians make up just over 2% of the country's population, compared to around 79% for Hindus and over 14% for Muslims, according to the 2011 census.
Trump-Xi summit: High stakes for the US, China and the world
"Good things take time," as the old saying goes. After postponing his trip in March after launching the war with Iran, US President Donald Trump is set to visit China's leader Xi Jinping in Beijing at the end of the week. The meeting comes as the world still faces an ongoing energy crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz blockade,and while peace negotiations between Tehran and Washington seem to be deadlocked. Moreover, trade disputes between China and the US still lurk from behind the scenes.
Against this backdrop, both countries have an incentive to ensure the meeting between the two leaders comes off as a success. Neither Trump nor Xi are ready to lose face. Both want to remain the "strong man."
"Trump desperately needs some good news on the foreign policy front," said Chu Yin, a political scientist at the Beijing-based Pangoal think tank and a former professor at the Beijing University of International Relations.
Against this backdrop, both countries have an incentive to ensure the meeting between the two leaders comes off as a success. Neither Trump nor Xi are ready to lose face. Both want to remain the "strong man."
"Trump desperately needs some good news on the foreign policy front," said Chu Yin, a political scientist at the Beijing-based Pangoal think tank and a former professor at the Beijing University of International Relations.
Trump flying to Beijing: America looks weaker and its potency more frayed than ever before in recent decades
After a delay due to launching a war on Iran in late February, US President Donald Trump is finally confirmed to go to China on 14 May. This is the moment, heralded by his most recent bilateral with China’s Xi Jinping last October, when the “big, beautiful deal” with Beijing that Trump has often talked about has the chance to finally be revealed to the world.
Expectations, therefore, are high. But as ever with a master of hyperbole like the current US president, are they in danger of being dashed by hard reality?
For any other less mercurial politician, heading to China with hopes fanned would be regarded as foolhardy. The prudent approach would be to under-promise, on the chance you can then over-deliver. But for Trump, such a quotidian approach clearly does not appeal.
Expectations, therefore, are high. But as ever with a master of hyperbole like the current US president, are they in danger of being dashed by hard reality?
For any other less mercurial politician, heading to China with hopes fanned would be regarded as foolhardy. The prudent approach would be to under-promise, on the chance you can then over-deliver. But for Trump, such a quotidian approach clearly does not appeal.
After annexation: How China plans to run Taiwan
Taiwan would present challenges categorically different from those Beijing has faced in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, or other peripheral regions. Taiwan is a high-income liberal democracy with a strong political identity, dense civic institutions, an independent legal culture, a boisterous free media, and deep integration into global economic, high-tech, and informational networks.
Governing such a society by force would impose large and enduring political, economic, and security costs on the Chinese state, and in turn would shape Beijing’s own domestic politics, its international standing, and global economic stability for decades. [7] China’s challenge is nothing less than the full transformation of the structure and identity of a society and a people that see the CCP largely as an antagonistic entity.
Musk, Cook and other prominent US executives invited to join Trump on trip to China
Prominent U.S. executives from Big Tech to agriculture have been invited to join President Donald Trump on his trip to China this week, according to a White House official. Trump leaves on Tuesday for Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping. Aside from discussions about Iran, the two leaders are expected to discuss trade and artificial intelligence. Here’s a look at some of the executives according to the White House official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump-Xi meet as petroyuan rises on Iran war’s tide
The US-Israel war on Iran has acted not as a mere diversion but as a brutal accelerator of history, fundamentally rupturing the Middle East’s security architecture and accelerating the very realignment it sought to prevent.
In the war’s destructive wake – marked by the paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices spiking above US$110 per barrel and Iranian retaliation striking deep into Gulf territories – the longstanding bargain that defined the region has collapsed.The premise that the US would guarantee Gulf security in exchange for the petrodollar has been exposed as a mirage, as US assets came under direct attack and its protective umbrella proved unable to prevent an existential economic shock to its allies.
Consequently, the outlook for China becoming the Gulf states’ principal economic and political partner – the United Arab Emirates being the sole exception – has shifted from a distant possibility to a near-term imperative, with the petroyuan emerging as a viable successor to the petrodollar and Iran and Russia playing pivotal, albeit contrasting, roles in this new order.
In the war’s destructive wake – marked by the paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices spiking above US$110 per barrel and Iranian retaliation striking deep into Gulf territories – the longstanding bargain that defined the region has collapsed.The premise that the US would guarantee Gulf security in exchange for the petrodollar has been exposed as a mirage, as US assets came under direct attack and its protective umbrella proved unable to prevent an existential economic shock to its allies.
Consequently, the outlook for China becoming the Gulf states’ principal economic and political partner – the United Arab Emirates being the sole exception – has shifted from a distant possibility to a near-term imperative, with the petroyuan emerging as a viable successor to the petrodollar and Iran and Russia playing pivotal, albeit contrasting, roles in this new order.
søndag 10. mai 2026
Torbjørn Færøvik: Before Taiwan, Xi Must Tame His Own Army
Death sentences in China are usually reserved for murderers and drug offenders. That is why it attracts attention when two former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, receive the harshest punishment the law allows. Party newspapers are giving the verdicts extensive coverage and urging “all Chinese without exception” to “respect the law and serve socialism.”
The sentences were handed down by a military court and announced on Thursday.
Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li, his successor, remained in office for only eight months. Both have been given a two-year reprieve. In practice, this means that their sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment.
The court found them guilty of serious corruption, both for accepting bribes and for bribing others.
The sentences were handed down by a military court and announced on Thursday.
Wei served as defence minister from 2018 to 2023, while Li, his successor, remained in office for only eight months. Both have been given a two-year reprieve. In practice, this means that their sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment.
The court found them guilty of serious corruption, both for accepting bribes and for bribing others.
A China move now on Taiwan would be an enormous gamble
“The Iran war weakens deterrence in Asia, undercuts confidence of US allies and partners, and makes conflict with China more likely.”
That’s become an article of faith among those opposing the US fight with Iran. The US military – the navy in particular – is indeed smaller than it should be, and much American combat power is deployed to the Middle East. There is no deployable aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, and the sole forward-based Marine amphibious unit, the 31st MEU, is deployed to Iran.
As troubling, the Iran war is draining war stocks – especially long-range precision missiles and air-defense ordnance. It’s unclear exactly how alarming the situation is, but it is likely that the US hasn’t got what it would like to have to fight China. The USINDOPACOM commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, suggested as much in recent comments.
That’s become an article of faith among those opposing the US fight with Iran. The US military – the navy in particular – is indeed smaller than it should be, and much American combat power is deployed to the Middle East. There is no deployable aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, and the sole forward-based Marine amphibious unit, the 31st MEU, is deployed to Iran.
As troubling, the Iran war is draining war stocks – especially long-range precision missiles and air-defense ordnance. It’s unclear exactly how alarming the situation is, but it is likely that the US hasn’t got what it would like to have to fight China. The USINDOPACOM commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, suggested as much in recent comments.
US experience fighting Iran offers lessons for China, experts say
As the war in Iran enters its third month, it’s providing a window for China into how US military capabilities work under fire, and a useful reminder that, on any battlefield, the adversary always has a big say in the outcome.
CNN spoke with a range of experts in China, Taiwan and elsewhere about how the last two months of fighting in and around the Persian Gulf can inform what might happen in any possible conflict that would pit Beijing against Washington. They warned of China misreading its own strengths, lack of experience and holding on to a too-narrow view of the conflict and its consequences.
CNN spoke with a range of experts in China, Taiwan and elsewhere about how the last two months of fighting in and around the Persian Gulf can inform what might happen in any possible conflict that would pit Beijing against Washington. They warned of China misreading its own strengths, lack of experience and holding on to a too-narrow view of the conflict and its consequences.
Ahead of US-China summit, Taiwan’s opposition leader says island can embrace both powers
As Washington pressures Taiwan to spend big on defenses against a potential Chinese attack, one of the island’s most outspoken politicians is arguing the opposite approach: less confrontation and more dialogue. Fresh from holding talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, and days before US President Donald Trump will do the same, the head of Taiwan’s largest opposition party told CNN that weapons alone will not keep Taiwan safe.
“Taiwan does not want to become the next Ukraine,” warned Cheng Li-wun, chair of the Kuomintang, or KMT.
Her comments came in an interview just hours before Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature passed a watered-down version of President Lai Ching-te’s proposed defense package, slashing the roughly $40 billion plan by about a third after months of political deadlock.
“Taiwan does not want to become the next Ukraine,” warned Cheng Li-wun, chair of the Kuomintang, or KMT.
Her comments came in an interview just hours before Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature passed a watered-down version of President Lai Ching-te’s proposed defense package, slashing the roughly $40 billion plan by about a third after months of political deadlock.
Trump’s deal making with Xi next week may determine Hong Kong jailed activist Jimmy Lai’s fate
Pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai once hoped U.S. President Donald Trump could help stop the imposition of a controversial national security law. The law not only took effect but was also used to sentence him to 20 years in prison. Ahead of an anticipated trip by Trump to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, Lai’s son said his family is now hoping that Trump can help secure his father’s release.
Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down during a crackdown following the city’s massive anti-government protests in 2019.
Observers say the former media mogul’s plight symbolizes a decline in freedoms Beijing promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sebastien Lai said he fears the clock is ticking for his 78-year-old father.
Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down during a crackdown following the city’s massive anti-government protests in 2019.
Observers say the former media mogul’s plight symbolizes a decline in freedoms Beijing promised when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sebastien Lai said he fears the clock is ticking for his 78-year-old father.
Family of imprisoned Chinese journalist pleads for his release over health concerns
Family members and activists have called for the release of imprisoned Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu due to health concerns. Dong, an editor at a major state-owned newspaper, the Guangming Daily, was taken away while meeting a Japanese diplomat for lunch in 2022. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for espionage in 2024.
“Yuyu is now effectively facing a death sentence,” the family said in a statement Thursday.
Dong was hospitalized at a prison-affiliated hospital in the city of Tianjin on April 27, according to his family. Doctors there found heart arrhythmia and a lung tumor his family feared was malignant. He had been working long hours making clothes while in prison, and has not been able to rest properly, his family said.
“Yuyu is now effectively facing a death sentence,” the family said in a statement Thursday.
Dong was hospitalized at a prison-affiliated hospital in the city of Tianjin on April 27, according to his family. Doctors there found heart arrhythmia and a lung tumor his family feared was malignant. He had been working long hours making clothes while in prison, and has not been able to rest properly, his family said.
China says April exports jump 14.1% from a year ago ahead of Trump-Xi summit
China’s exports rose 14.1% in April from a year earlier, the government said Saturday, despite the Iran war and lingering impacts from higher U.S. tariffs. The data were released just days ahead of a planned meeting next week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
That beat analysts’ estimates and was a significant improvement from March’s 2.5% year-on-year expansion. Exports to the U.S. rose 11.3% from the year before, up from a 26.5% drop in March. Imports climbed 25.3%, slower than the 27.8% growth in March but still robust. The Trump-Xi summit comes at a time when relations are beset by multiple issues, with efforts to end the war in Iran eclipsing the usual sources of friction.
That beat analysts’ estimates and was a significant improvement from March’s 2.5% year-on-year expansion. Exports to the U.S. rose 11.3% from the year before, up from a 26.5% drop in March. Imports climbed 25.3%, slower than the 27.8% growth in March but still robust. The Trump-Xi summit comes at a time when relations are beset by multiple issues, with efforts to end the war in Iran eclipsing the usual sources of friction.
Iran war could make Trump’s trip to China a bit chillier than his first-term visit
Weeks before his trip to China, President Donald Trump was already predicting on social media that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, would “give me a big, fat hug when I get there.”
But Beijing’s deep economic ties to Iran, as well as trade tensions over tariff threatsstretching back to Trump’s first term, could crimp the good feelings when Trump flies to Beijing this week — even though the Republican president has for years effusively praised Xi, making it clear he sees China’s leader as a competitor strong enough to warrant his respect and admiration.
Trump isn’t fond of long plane rides or extended stretches away from the White House or his properties in Florida and New Jersey. He is expected to only spend parts of three days on the ground in China.
But Beijing’s deep economic ties to Iran, as well as trade tensions over tariff threatsstretching back to Trump’s first term, could crimp the good feelings when Trump flies to Beijing this week — even though the Republican president has for years effusively praised Xi, making it clear he sees China’s leader as a competitor strong enough to warrant his respect and admiration.
Trump isn’t fond of long plane rides or extended stretches away from the White House or his properties in Florida and New Jersey. He is expected to only spend parts of three days on the ground in China.
fredag 8. mai 2026
As Tibet’s Veteran Freedom Fighters Pass the Torch, Britain and the World Must Keep the Cause Alive
From London, Dharamsala can seem very far away. But for Tibetans in exile, it is never just a hill town in northern India. It is the political and spiritual headquarters of a displaced nation, where memory, grief, resistance and hope continue to meet.
The recent Tenshug, or long-life prayer offering, for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday, made by veteran Tibetan freedom fighters, was one such moment. It was an act of deep devotion; but it was also a reminder that Tibet remains an unresolved international issue.
I arrived in the United Kingdom from Lodrik Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp in 1996 on a scholarship programme and, to the best of my knowledge, was the first child of Lodrik veterans to do so. Thirty years later, I still carry the stories of those resistance fighters into conversations with politicians, officials, diplomats, lawyers, journalists and human rights advocates. I do so through meetings, writing and public engagement, because Tibet’s plight must remain visible. The recent gathering in Dharamsala brought home, once again, that Tibet’s struggle is not over, and that the responsibility of remembrance now rests heavily on those of us in exile.
The recent Tenshug, or long-life prayer offering, for His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday, made by veteran Tibetan freedom fighters, was one such moment. It was an act of deep devotion; but it was also a reminder that Tibet remains an unresolved international issue.
I arrived in the United Kingdom from Lodrik Jampaling Tibetan Refugee Camp in 1996 on a scholarship programme and, to the best of my knowledge, was the first child of Lodrik veterans to do so. Thirty years later, I still carry the stories of those resistance fighters into conversations with politicians, officials, diplomats, lawyers, journalists and human rights advocates. I do so through meetings, writing and public engagement, because Tibet’s plight must remain visible. The recent gathering in Dharamsala brought home, once again, that Tibet’s struggle is not over, and that the responsibility of remembrance now rests heavily on those of us in exile.
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