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Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded his state visit to the United States on Friday, wrapping up his trip in Washington. As he departed, senior U.S. government officials saw him off at the airport, where a 21-gun salute was fired in honor of the occasion. The ceremonial farewell was noted as a sign of the formal regard accorded to the visit.

The United States and China have reached a trade agreement to lower tariffs on $30 billion worth of non-sensitive goods, following a meeting between President Trump and President Xi this week. The deal is expected to reduce prices on a range of consumer products, including small appliances, toys and holiday items, easing costs for shoppers in both countries.

Iran's president has stated that all Iranian money held in China has been frozen, according to an emerging report circulating on prediction and news platforms. The claim, if confirmed, would have significant implications for Iran's economy, which has relied on Chinese purchases of its oil and credit lines as sanctions limit access to Western financial systems. Details about the amount involved, the reason for the freeze, and Beijing's response remain unclear.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has departed Beijing for Washington, in what is described as his first state visit to the US capital since 2015. President Trump is expected to greet him personally on the tarmac rather than at the White House, a gesture some observers read as a sign of warmth ahead of high-stakes US-China trade and diplomatic discussions.

US President Donald Trump described his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a 'great meeting' after the two leaders sat down at the White House. Speaking to reporters before boarding Marine One with Xi for a brief tour, Trump offered a positive assessment of the talks. The leaders' discussions are being closely watched for signals on trade and the broader US-China relationship.

Dutch chip equipment maker ASML said it is not selling its chipmaking machines in Europe, warning the region risks falling behind the US, China and India in semiconductors. The comments have drawn attention in business and tech circles, with debate over whether Europe can build a competitive domestic chip industry without access to the company's advanced lithography systems.

China has called on the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Iran and Cuba. The demand was reported by BRICS News, which covers developments involving the BRICS bloc. Beijing has long opposed unilateral American sanctions, arguing they violate international law and harm civilian populations, and it maintains close economic and diplomatic ties with both Tehran and Havana.

Following this week's summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, reports say China has frozen Iranian funds held in the country. Commentators point out that China was previously buying roughly 90% of Iran's oil exports before US pressure curtailed that trade, and are framing the move as a sign of shifting geopolitics and a concrete gain for Trump from his meeting with Xi.

China has carried out joint naval and air exercises around a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. The drills come amid ongoing territorial tensions in the waterway, where China's claims overlap with those of neighbouring countries including the Philippines and Vietnam. The show of military force is likely to draw criticism from claimant states and watchful attention from the United States.

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from a China-led cross-border currency platform, according to the Financial Times. The move signals a pullback from Beijing's efforts to build alternatives to dollar-based international payments, and is being read as Riyadh keeping its options open with Washington amid ongoing economic and security ties. Observers see it as a setback for de-dollarisation efforts.

A joint statement issued after Donald Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping includes wording on the Strait of Hormuz, drawing attention because Beijing agreed to language on a waterway far from its usual sphere of focus. Commentators highlighted the passage as a notable concession or signal in US-China relations, with the full statement published by China's foreign ministry.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Russia's status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council is questionable, arguing that Russia took over the Soviet Union's seat without a vote. He contrasted this with the UN's formal 1971 decision recognising the People's Republic of China as China's representative. The remarks renew a debate some diplomats have raised since 2022 about the legitimacy of Russia's council seat.

China has rolled out AI-powered weed-killing machines across large areas of farmland. Each machine combines cameras, artificial intelligence and lasers: a vision system scans plants while AI distinguishes crops from weeds, allowing targeted destruction of weeds without damaging crops. The machines have already entered operation, and the technology is drawing attention as a potential alternative to chemical herbicides in large-scale agriculture.

Elon Musk has given a new full interview to CMG, China's state broadcaster, covering a broad range of topics. The discussion touches on Xi Jinping, the Tesla Shanghai factory, the Cybercab rollout, the pace of AI breakthroughs, Grok, SpaceX and Tesla data for real-world AI, and Chinese AI models and the compute gap. The interview is drawing attention for Musk's engagement with Chinese leadership and industry at a moment of high US-China tech tensions.

Elon Musk, in a new interview with CCTV Finance, said he recommends people visit China as much as they can, citing the country's many attractions. He described taking the bullet train from Beijing to Xi'an as a great experience and praised the train stations. The remarks are drawing attention as Musk continues to speak warmly about China while his companies maintain major business ties there.

Footage circulating shows Ethiopia has taken delivery of Chinese-made FK-2000 short-range air-defense systems, with vehicles reportedly moved from West Shewa in Oromia region toward Amhara, where government forces are fighting rebels. The deployment signals Addis Ababa is reinforcing air defenses for the Amhara campaign and deepening its reliance on Chinese military equipment amid ongoing internal conflict.

Donald Trump reportedly arranged a flypast of fighter jets intended to impress Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting. Commentators note that Xi's expression appeared unimpressed, prompting online discussion about whether the display landed as intended and what it signals about the dynamic between the two leaders.