Trump arrives in Beijing for state visit to China
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening for a state visit to China.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump is visiting China from May 13 to 15.
This is the first U.S. presidential visit to China in almost nine years and Trump's second since November 2017.
The two leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning bilateral relations and world peace and development, according to China's foreign ministry.
China, U.S. hold constructive exchanges in S. Korea on economic, trade issues
The Chinese and U.S. delegations on Wednesday held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges in South Korea on economic and trade issues of mutual concern, as well as on further expanding practical cooperation.
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, also China's lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs, and U.S. lead person Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent conducted the consultations.
Guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, the two sides upheld the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.
S. Korean president meets with Chinese vice premier on ties
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the presidential office in Seoul.
During the meeting, He Lifeng noted that the heads of state of China and South Korea have conducted reciprocal visits since the end of last year, leading the bilateral relations into a new stage of improvement and development.
China is willing to work with South Korea to well implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and effectively safeguard and develop the strategic cooperative partnership, He said.
U.S. Senate confirms Kevin Warsh as next Fed chair
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kevin Warsh's nomination as the next chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in a vote of 54-45, placing the 56-year-old financier at the helm of the U.S. central bank as it navigates a complex landscape of surging inflation and geopolitical volatility.
The confirmation follows a Tuesday vote by the Republican-majority Senate to approve Warsh for a 14-year term on the Federal Reserve's seven-member Board of Governors. His formal swearing-in to both positions is pending final signatures from the White House.
Warsh is set to succeed current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose leadership term expires this Friday. Although Powell will step down from the chairmanship, he will remain on the Federal Reserve Board as a governor.
Israeli gov't coalition submits bill to dissolve parliament
Chairman of the Israeli government coalition Ofir Katz submitted a bill on Wednesday to dissolve parliament, together with the heads of all coalition factions, a move that could pave the way for an early election.
Under the proposal, a copy of which was seen by Xinhua, the election date would be set through discussions in the Knesset (parliament) House Committee.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, considered the most far-right government in Israel's history, was inaugurated in December 2022. The next election is scheduled for October 2026, but the new proposal calls for an early end to the government's term.
Hormuz supply losses draw down global oil stocks "at record pace"
Mounting supply losses from the Strait of Hormuz are drawing down global oil inventories "at a record pace" and "further price volatility appears likely" ahead of the peak summer demand period, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday.
In its latest Oil Market Report, the IEA noted that with Hormuz tanker traffic still restricted, cumulative supply losses from Gulf producers have exceeded 1 billion barrels, with more than 14 million barrels per day (mb/d) of oil now shut in, marking an unprecedented supply shock.
Israeli PM, Gaza ceasefire overseer meet in Jerusalem as truce stalls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Nickolay Mladenov, "high representative for Gaza" of the U.S.-led "Board of Peace," in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the prime minister's office said, without providing further details.
During the visit, Mladenov will meet with Israeli officials to help advance the ceasefire agreement reached by Israel and Hamas in October 2025, according to the Israeli state-owned Kan TV news.
The visit comes as the phased ceasefire has stalled. Its key terms, including the demilitarization and reconstruction of the war-devastated Palestinian enclave, are yet to be implemented.■
