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A military chorus entertained President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping with a medley from “Les Misérables” during Thursday night’s White House state dinner — despite one of the selections being restricted in China for encouraging dissent. As Trump and the Chinese “president for life” dined with assorted oligarchs, a military band marched into the East Room playing “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, in which discontented Parisians anticipate an attempt to overthrow their repressive government. China censored online distribution of the tune after pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong adopted it as an anthem during anti-Beijing protests in 2019. QQ...

oments before President Xi Jinping climbed down the steps of his aircraft to be greeted by Donald Trump, US marines were filmed on their hands and knees smoothing out the red carpet, Chinese officials looking down from the top of the steps. It was an uncomfortable image, ridiculed on social media for the symbolism of kowtowing to the emperor. But it set the tone for a summit which so far has been heavy on pomp and ceremony, rich in platitudes, but with very little in the way of substance. A strong diplomatic case can be made for political fawning –...

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the White House on Thursday he was gifting the U.S. with two giant pandas and invitations for 100,000 U.S. students to study in China. “The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and the Americans,” Xi said, speaking alongside President Trump and other officials from the U.S. and China. “Here, I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas — Ping Ping and Fu Shuang — will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people,” the Chinese leader added. The...

A group of pro-Tibetan activists who were peacefully demonstrating against Chinese dictator Xi Jinping when he arrived in Washington, DC, on Thursday were attacked by pro-communist protesters. Protest organizers said they expected over 2,000 Tibetans living in North America to participate, along with Uyghurs and Southern Mongolians who have been oppressed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kongers who lost their freedoms under China’s authoritarian laws, Taiwanese worried about PRC subversion and invasion, and Chinese pro-democracy activists. Scheduled events included a march through Washington, demonstrations at the Chinese embassy, a rally near Capitol Hill, and a candlelight vigil...

This video captures the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States (0:00 - 27:37). Key events include: Arrival and Welcoming: The video depicts the arrival of the Air China aircraft and the official welcoming ceremony on the tarmac (0:00 - 16:30). Formal Greetings: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are seen greeting President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, as they disembark from the plane (16:30 - 20:30). Ceremonial Honors: The segment shows the leaders standing together during official ceremonies while being honored by military personnel (20:30 - 25:00). Departure from the Tarmac: The...

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has withdrawn from public engagements after returning from the BRICS summit in India, his office said on Wednesday, citing ill health. Ramaphosa, 73, returned from New Delhi on Monday and was advised by his doctors to rest and recover. His absence comes as Deputy President Paul Mashatile continues recovering from a minor medical procedure, leaving both of South Africa’s top leaders away from public duties. Meanwhile, unverified claims about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s health have surfaced following his visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit. Wanjun Xie, chairman of the China Democracy Party, alleged...

Veteran national security reporter Bill Gertz posted to social media on Wednesday that wild "rumors are flying" about Chinese leader Xi Jinping's health and a possible plot to oust him from power. "Rumors are flying in China over Xi Jinping begin [sic] taken ill during his visit to India. They include claims that he suffered a minor illness to experiencing a stroke worsened by failure to treat early," wrote Gertz, a national security correspondent for The Washington Times. "Some wild claims say rival group armies are mobilizing for civil war. No confirmation but Treasury Sec Bessent is meeting with Chinese...

Rumors are flying in China over Xi Jinping begin taken ill during his visit to India. They include claims that he suffered a minor illness to experiencing a stroke worsened by by failure to treat early. Some wild claims say rival group armies are mobilizing for civil war. No confirmation but Treasury Sec Bessent is meeting with Chinese counterparts today and we’ll see if the summit for Sept. 24 is still on

China’s communist dictator Xi Jinping debuted yet another vague plan toward world peace on Wednesday during an official visit to Egypt, one that not-so-subtly suggested Middle Eastern states should consider limiting their ties to America. Xi conducted a two-day visit to Cairo this week following a hectic diplomatic schedule that began by welcoming Jordanian King Abdullah II to Beijing in late August and also included at stop at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. There, Xi held meetings with some of his most important allies, such as Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, though...

The leaders of China, Russia and India gathered with other heads of state in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group billed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are attending the events in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian nation. Putin met separately with Xi and Modi in two of the many bilateral sessions on the sidelines of the summit, Russian state media reported. Putin affirmed to Xi Moscow’s readiness to make the visa-free regime with China permanent,...

Chinese spies in U.S. hunting for man who could be the 'most significant defector in decades' are warned off by White House US warned Beijing about covert Chinese agents operating in America to pressure fugitives such as defector Ling Wancheng to return to China Operation Fox Hunt part of large effort by Beijing to repatriate fugitives China’s former president, Hu Jintao, employed Ling’s brother as an aide Brother in July accused of bribe-taking and illegally obtaining state secrets Ling may have got sensitive information about Chinese leaders from him Chinese President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to...

When Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping sit down to a lavish state banquet in Beijing on Thursday, one Chinese cuisine is likely to feature on the menu: Huaiyang food, from the region surrounding Shanghai, known for its mild and subtle flavours, refined knife-work and emphasis on seasonal dishes... "One of the key strengths of Huaiyang cuisine is its broad appeal. Its flavours are widely acceptable and accessible to most people ... including international guests," said Shi Qiang, executive chef at Gui Hua Lou, an upscale Huaiyang cuisine restaurant in Shanghai... China even created a chicken dish named after US...

China’s belated confirmation of the visit reflects Beijing’s broader approach to Washington under Trump’s second administration: do not initiate, do not refuse, and do not compromise.U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Gimhae International Airport terminal in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. On May 11, Beijing announced that U.S. President Donald Trump would visit China from May 13 to 15 – just two days before his summit with President Xi Jinping was due to begin. Trump had publicly confirmed his visit dates back in March. For months, Beijing’s public response...

On Wednesday’s Morning Joe, co-host Willie Geist dropped explicit adult-film terminology while bashing President Trump’s diplomatic approach to China. Discussing Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Geist said with a noticeable smirk and hesitation: “Trump is lavishing praise on Xi ahead of this meeting, which is a strange thing for the art of the deal guy, to give all this, you know, this fluffing, if you will, of President Xi.” In porn industry terminology, a “fluffer” is the person whose job is to arouse the male performer off-camera right before filming. Geist’s pause and smirk made it clear...

On the eve of President Trump’s meeting in Beijing with Xi Jinping, it is worth reminding ourselves of something not often discussed—the Chinese president's family background. Xi’s is so radically different from almost all Americans that it's extremely difficult for most of us to understand exactly who he is. I first ran into this some years ago, when, at the beginning of writing columns for The Epoch Times, I was informed by their then-publisher (now deceased) to “go easy” on Xi because their objective was to encourage the Chinese leader to liberalize. That seemed naive. But I went along, assuming...

Fentanyl — along with trade and the Iran war — is one of the key items on Trump’s agenda during his long-anticipated two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping... Since his first term, Trump has prioritized pushing China to take serious action to curb the flow of precursor chemicals from China to Mexican cartels that process them into fentanyl... U.S. drug overdose deaths have declined sharply since their peak three years ago. Still, nearly 40,000 people died from synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl, in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... “President Trump has made it clear...

Trump heads to Beijing hoping personal ties with Xi can ease tensions but Iran, tariffs, Taiwan and China’s expanding global influence have complicated prospects for meaningful breakthroughs at the summit… Beijing’s deep economic relationship with Tehran, especially its dependence on Iranian oil — has placed China in a delicate position as Washington seeks broader regional support… Trump’s first presidency was dominated by tariff battles with China, many of which reshaped global trade flows even after some measures were later struck down in US courts… While a temporary trade truce last year reduced some pressure, the underlying disputes remain unresolved... The...

Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his opposition to Taiwanese independence during a meeting with Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's pro-Beijing opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party. Her official trip to Beijing, the first such visit in a decade, sparked controversy in the self-ruled island that China claims as its territory. Cheng's trip comes a month before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with Xi. The United States has been piling pressure on Taiwanese opposition lawmakers to back a proposal for defence purchases, including US weapons, to deter a potential Chinese attack. Cheng has railed against the...

China is highly concerned over the military strikes against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Saturday, noting that China calls for an immediate stop of the military actions. The spokesperson made the remarks when asked to comment on the military strikes against Iran launched by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday, Beijing time. China calls for an immediate stop of the military actions, no further escalation of the tense situation, resumption of dialogue and negotiation, and efforts to uphold peace and stability in the Middle East, the spokesperson emphasized.

Internal orders issued by China’s top military authority have met widespread resistance at the grassroots level following the purge of two of the country’s most senior generals, according to multiple sources close to the People’s Liberation Army who spoke to The Epoch Times. After Central Military Commission (CMC) Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia and chief of the Joint Staff Department Liu Zhenli were placed under investigation on Jan. 24, at least two directives issued by the CMC General Office to theater commands and group armies were ignored or only passively acknowledged. Sources said the grassroots troops within the military are expressing...