S&P 500 Retreats From Record High as AI Stocks Slide, Retail Sales Disappoint 
Israel Warned US of Alleged Iran Plot to Assassinate Trump 
Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Holds Firm After U.S. Inflation Data 
Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota Democratic Senate Nomination 
Oil Prices Fall as U.S. Crude Inventories Surge and Hormuz Tensions Persist 
Meloni Loses Ground Among Young Italian Voters Ahead of 2027 Election 
Wall Street Hits Record High as Softer Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
European Stocks Rise as U.S. Inflation Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Fears 
Trump Imposes New US Tariffs on Drone Imports Over National Security Concerns 
Gold Prices Slip From Two-Month High as Inflation and Fed Outlook Drive Markets 
US Dollar Slips as Softer PPI Data Eases Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Israeli Troops Enter Palestinian Homes as Settler Siege Grips West Bank Village 
Colombia Earthquake Death Toll Hits 265 as President Announces Emergency Fund 
Iran War Escalates as US, Houthis Target Ships Near Key Oil Routes 
Oil Prices Slide as OPEC, IEA Cut 2026 Demand Forecasts 
US, Colombia Weigh Joint Strikes on Armed Groups in Expanded Anti-Drug Campaign 
Trump Orders U.S. Navy to Return to Steam Catapults for Aircraft Carriers 
Add as a preferred source on Google
U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in May 2026 during his first trip to China in eight years — a high-stakes diplomatic visit arriving amid one of the most turbulent periods in modern U.S.-China trade relations. The summit follows more than a year of escalating tariff battles, fragile truces, and ongoing negotiations between the world's two largest economies.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing intensified sharply in early 2025 when Trump announced sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs on all imports, triggering aggressive Chinese retaliation. Both nations proceeded to raise levies against each other beyond 100%, while China simultaneously tightened restrictions on rare earth exports — a sector where Beijing holds significant global leverage. By October 2025, the U.S. countered with an additional 100% duty on Chinese imports alongside new export controls on critical software.
A breakthrough came when Trump and Xi met in Busan, South Korea, agreeing to a new trade truce. Under the deal, the U.S. agreed to scale back tariffs while China committed to targeting illicit fentanyl trafficking, resuming American soybean purchases, and pausing rare earth export curbs. The two sides also struck an initial 90-day truce in Geneva back in May 2025, though it quickly unraveled amid mutual accusations of non-compliance.
Heading into 2026, the diplomatic pace has accelerated. Senior trade officials from both countries held a sixth round of talks in Paris, with both sides describing the discussions as constructive. New U.S. trade investigations into Chinese industries under Section 301 prompted fresh reciprocal probes from Beijing, reflecting persistent friction beneath the surface of diplomacy.
Despite the ongoing disputes, Trump's planned Beijing visit signals a willingness from both governments to stabilize the relationship, even as critical issues around tariffs, technology, and critical minerals remain unresolved.
