Trump and Xi Open High-Stakes Summit in Beijing
President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Thursday for a two-day state visit — the first by a sitting U.S. president in nearly a decade — kicking off talks that span trade, Taiwan, the Iran war, rare earths, and AI governance. The opening session moved quickly to friction: Xi Jinping reserved his sharpest language for Taiwan, calling it “the most important issue in U.S.-China relations” and warning that if mishandled, the two countries risk “collision or conflict.” On trade, Xi told Trump the preparatory talks held in Seoul on May 12–13 had produced “overall balanced and positive outcomes,” signalling an appetite for a framework that stabilises tariffs without a full rollback.
Analysts characterise the summit as an attempt by both sides to construct what Xi called “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability” — a deliberately vague phrase that lets each capital claim progress. A senior U.S. official told reporters that agricultural purchases and possible Boeing orders are on the table, but nothing has been signed. The second day of talks continues Friday, with a joint press statement expected before Trump departs.
- Xi asks Trump if U.S. and China can avoid ‘Thucydides Trap’ — CNBC
- Five takeaways from the Trump-Xi summit so far — CNBC
- China’s Xi warns Trump about “conflicts” if Taiwan isn’t “handled properly” — CBS News
BRICS Foreign Ministers Fracture Over the Iran War in Delhi
A two-day BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting opened in New Delhi on Thursday under the shadow of the ongoing US-Israel campaign against Iran. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar called for “safe, unimpeded maritime flows” through international waters — a pointed reference to Tehran’s threats against the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil and gas transits. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, attending in person, urged the bloc’s members to “condemn the United States and Israel” and “take practical steps to stop warmongering.”
The gathering exposed deep fractures inside BRICS itself: Iran and the UAE are both members yet back opposing sides in the conflict, and Iran’s deputy foreign minister acknowledged that disagreements had prevented the bloc from issuing a unified statement. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi was absent — occupied in Beijing for the Trump visit — and was represented instead by China’s ambassador to India. Russia’s Sergey Lavrov did attend, keeping the anti-Western coalition visible without China’s formal presence.
The Hormuz situation has been an escalating crisis since the US announced a full naval blockade of Iranian ports in April. See our earlier coverage: 美伊和谈破裂：美军宣布今日起全面封锁伊朗港口 and 伊朗战争与能源危机.
- Iran war: Why the BRICS foreign ministers meeting in India matters — Al Jazeera
- BRICS foreign ministers meet in India as Iran war, oil prices and divisions test the bloc’s unity — Washington Post
- BRICS foreign ministers meet in India — ABC News
Musk Trial Testimony: Microsoft’s OpenAI Tab Has Crossed $100 Billion
Testimony in Elon Musk’s federal lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft in Oakland, California revealed Wednesday that Microsoft has spent more than $100 billion on the partnership — a figure that includes original equity investments, infrastructure buildout, and the cost of hosting OpenAI’s compute through the current fiscal year (ending June 2026). Microsoft deals executive Michael Wetter gave the figure under oath, making it the first time the cumulative outlay has been confirmed in a public proceeding.
The disclosure comes as the two companies have already restructured their relationship: a renegotiated deal announced in late April ended Microsoft’s exclusivity over OpenAI’s products, capping Microsoft’s revenue share at 852 billion as of March. Musk’s suit alleges that Altman and co-founders abandoned the organisation’s nonprofit mission; Microsoft feared becoming too dependent on a single vendor, CNBC separately reported, citing internal documents entered into evidence.