Trump Says He Looks Forward to Xi Summit as Tensions Mount

On 5 May 2026, Trump said he looks forward to a summit with Xi even as tensions mount. He said he will bring up the case of Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai at the summit, and called Xi 'respectful' on Iran, downplaying strains amid tensions over Hormuz. The US said Trump and Xi are likely to discuss Taiwan the following week, and Rubio warned against 'destabilizing' acts on Taiwan before Trump's visit to China. Japan said it would closely watch Trump's remarks on Taiwan in his talks with Xi.

Taiwan's president said Taiwan will not give in to pressure over an Africa trip that China tried to stop. Separately, a blast at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan killed 26 people, and Xi called for a probe, state media said.