Page 3 - Xi Jinping

China exports jump 14.1% in April despite Iran war, US tariff pressures

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 US tariffs. The data were released just days ahead of a planned meeting next week between US 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. 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. "We're expecting that overall external demand will remain a solid driver of growth this year," said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at Dutch bank ING, likely led by China's exports of semiconductors and autos. In March, Chinese leaders set an annual economic growth target of 4.5% to 5%, slightly lower than last year's 5% expansion and t

Trump-Xi summit stays on track despite China's hesitation over Iran crisis

Trump and Xi Jinping are slated to meet May 14-15 after their summit was rescheduled once due to the war, which has triggered an energy crisis and restricted supplies to importers of West Asia crude

Two former Chinese defence ministers sentenced to death for corruption

Two former Chinese defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve over graft charges on Thursday, official media reported. Wei and his successor Li, who worked under President Xi Jinping's watch, were expelled from the ruling Communist Party in 2024. Wei served as Defence Minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li barely served a few months as his successor. Li, a Chinese aerospace engineer who headed the People's Liberation Army's all-important Rocket (Missile) Force, was personally picked up for the top defence post by Xi himself.

China calls Hormuz international waterway; Xi presses for reopening

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz for normal passage of ships, as Beijing described it as an "international waterway" amid assertions by Iran that it has an inalienable right over it. The Strait of Hormuz should remain open to normal navigation, which is in the common interest of regional countries and the international community, Xi told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during their phone talks, an official statement said. This is the first statement by the Chinese leader on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, followed by the US blockade of Iranian ports in their current conflict. The closure of the Strait has resulted in acute energy shortages across the world, especially in Asia, and China, which is a major importer of Iranian oil, is increasingly concerned about the prolongation of the US-Israel-Iran war. "The Strait of Hormuz should remain open for normal passage, which aligns with the common interest of countr

Xi hosts slew of world leaders in Beijing as Trump fights with allies

Xi has been positioning his nation as a source of stability and bulwark of respect for international rules, against the backdrop of President Donald Trump's threat to bomb Iran

Xi says rule of law must be upheld for West Asia peace, stability

The visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East after weekend talks between Washington and Tehran failed to reach a deal to end the war

World order 'crumbling into disarray': Xi Jinping as Iran war drags on

China has also criticised the military action against Iran and warned it risks plunging West Asia into deeper instability

Iran war diverts US attention from Asia ahead of Trump-Xi summit

In 2011, President Barack Obama declared it was time for America to leave behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and "pivot" to Asia to counter the rise of China. Fifteen years later, the US finds itself still at war in the Middle East and has pulled military assets from the Asia-Pacific as it aims to eliminate the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The demands of the Iran war also caused President Donald Trump to delay by several weeks his highly anticipated trip to China, deepening worries that the US is once again getting distracted at the cost of its strategic interests in Asia, where Beijing seeks to unseat the US as the regional leader. Those skeptical of the US involvement in the Middle East say the war is preventing Trump from adequately preparing for his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month, when economic interests are on the line, and they warn that a failure to focus on Asia and maintain strong deterrence could lead to greater instability, if

China won't tolerate Taiwan's independence, says President Xi Jinping

Meeting in the Great Hall of the People, Xi told Cheng that today's world was not entirely at peace, and peace was precious

Xi Jinping helps Trump on Iran war as China assists in ceasefire bid

Hours after a ceasefire publicly brokered by Pakistan was announced, Iranian officials reportedly credited a last-minute push by China with securing their acceptance, a claim soon validated by Trump

Why China is reviving Mao-era inland bases as nuclear buildup gains pace

China's nuclear buildup is increasingly finding new space in remote inland mountainous regions that once formed the core of Mao Zedong's Cold War defence strategy

Xi wants Chinese officials to drink less and it's hurting global wine trade

China's push to curb official drinking and weakening demand are leaving global wine producers with excess inventory, falling prices and shrinking export markets

Trump's delay of visit to China echoes pattern of last-minute changes

Trump's request to delay a planned trip to China is latest example in a pattern of postponing or calling off high-profile meetings that he decides don't suit his interests

Trump asks China to delay summit with Xi by a month due to Iran war

War has overshadowed Trump's other priorities, especially with Iran's move to block the Strait of Hormuz sending the price of oil above $100 a barrel

US-China trade talks begin in Paris, paving way for Trump-Xi summit

Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, paving the way for U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in about two weeks. The delegations, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, convened in the French capital in the morning, China's official news agency Xinhua reported. The White House has said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it. Bessent said on Thursday that his team will continue to deliver results that put America's farmers, workers and businesses first. The U.S. Treasury Department said Bessent will meet He on Sunday and Monday. China's commerce ministry said Friday the two sides are set to discuss "trade and economic issues of mutual concern." Trump's visit to China will be the first for a U.S. president since he went in his first term in 2017. It will come five .

US-China trade talks open in Paris, paving way for Trump-Xi summit

Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported. The meetings, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to pave the way for U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in about two weeks. The White House has said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it. Bessent said on Thursday that his team will continue to deliver results that put America's farmers, workers and businesses first. China's commerce ministry said Friday the two sides are set to discuss "trade and economic issues of mutual concern." Trump's visit to China will be the first for a U.S. president since he went in his first term in 2017. It will come five months after the two leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan and agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war th

US, China economic chiefs meet in Paris ahead of Trump-Xi summit

The discussions, led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, are expected to focus on shifting US tariffs, the flow of Chinese-produced rare earths among others

China passes ethnic unity law to promote assimilation of minorities

The law, which was approved at the close of China's legislative meeting on Thursday, has wide-ranging provisions that touch on education, housing policy, entertainment and other areas

A broken model: China is unwilling to implement the reforms needed

China's growth model has lasted longer than expected but is now losing momentum, as the government runs out of fiscal space to sustain investment-driven expansion

China says talks with US vital as Trump targets Beijing's key partners

Failure to engage between the two nations would only lead to misunderstandings and misjudgements, escalating toward confrontation and harming the world," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said