China’s Xi warns Trump over Taiwan during Beijing summit; Vance campaigns in Maine

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this evening that the "full extent" of what he knows about Rep. Tom Kean's absence from Congress is that he is out for medical reasons.

"Tom Kean has a medical issue, and that’s all I know about it. That’s all I can say about it," Johnson said, adding that "it's a personal thing."

Kean, R-N.J., has not voted in the House since March 5. He has missed more than 80 votes during his absence, which his office has attributed to a “personal health matter."

Johnson said Kean “sounded great” when the two spoke a few weeks ago. Asked whether Kean can run for re-election, Johnson said, “Of course.”

The House Ethics Committee announced today it is investigating Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., over allegations that he “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.”

The announcement follows reports that Edwards was being scrutinized over interactions with much younger female staffers that left them feeling uncomfortable.

Edwards previously called the allegations “baseless” and said in a statement today that he welcomed an investigation.

“As I have stated, I welcome any investigation and plan to comply fully with the Committee,” he said. “I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction.”

Read the full story here.

Trump disclosed a flurry of at least $220 million in financial transactions this year in the securities of major U.S. companies, according to two new financial disclosure forms released today by the Office of Government Ethics.

The new reports, which cover the first three months of 2026, reported transaction values in broad ranges rather than exact amounts, showing a cumulative value of $220 million to around $750 million. The purchases included securities linked to companies such as Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Oracle, Broadcom, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, as well as trades in municipal bonds.

Examples of large purchases, valued at $1 million to $5 million each, were an S&P 500 Index fund, Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc. Large sales of $5 million to $25 million each included Microsoft, Amazon and Meta. The filing does not always make explicit the type of security, such as whether it was a stock or a corporate bond.

The filings also do not make it clear what accounts the transactions took place in or who placed the trades. Trump’s assets are held in a trust controlled by his children, while some of the transactions in the new filings indicate that a broker acted as an agent.

Read the full story here.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called a special session today for state lawmakers to tackle redistricting ahead of the midterm elections.

A new map is expected to eliminate the state’s only majority-minority district, which is held by Rep. James Clyburn, a key Democratic power broker.

“I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts,” McMaster said this evening on X. He said the special session would begin tomorrow morning.

McMaster initially chose not to set a special session, but he changed course after the Republican-led state Senate rejected a measure this week to extend its current session to take up a redrawn map, despite pressure from Trump.

Read the full story here.

The Supreme Court today ensured that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be available by mail without an in-person appointment with a clinician.

A ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 1 had imperiled widespread access to the pill. Now, the Supreme Court has granted emergency requests brought by drugmakers Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro seeking to block that ruling.

Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissented.

The decision, a loss for the state of Louisiana, ensures there will not be any disruption to the availability of the drug as litigation continues. On May 4, in an order issued by conservative Justice Samuel Alito, the court had provisionally put the appeals court ruling on hold while the justices considered their next steps.

Read the full story here.

The House failed today to pass a war powers resolution that would have blocked Trump from engaging in hostilities against Iran without congressional approval.

The vote failed on a 212-212 tie, with three Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

Rep. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to oppose the resolution, despite having co-sponsored it.

It was the third time the House failed to pass a war powers measure related to the weekslong Iran conflict.

As the war with Iran pushes the Pentagon’s munitions stocks to dangerously low levels, the Defense Department hasn’t signed new contracts to replenish its supplies, according to two U.S. officials and two people familiar with the matter.

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The Louisiana state Senate passed a new congressional map today that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black districts.

The map now heads to the state House, where it could be changed.

Louisiana, where about 1 in 3 residents are Black, has two majority-Black districts that are represented by Democrats. But after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's map and gutted racial gerrymandering protections, Louisiana Republicans rushed to redraw it for the midterm elections and delayed their House primaries that were scheduled for Sunday.

If the new map becomes law, it would most likely add a House seat for Republicans as they push to maintain control of the chamber this fall.

A Democratic grassroots organization seeking to conduct at least 500,000 substantive conversations with voters across the battleground map this year announced today it is expanding its list of targets to more than 60 contested congressional and state races.

The group, Swing Left, is growing its list of targeted races from 33 House battlegrounds to 63 House, Senate and governor’s contests this fall as it expands its “Ground Truth” program — which began as an ambitious effort to knock on every door in battleground House districts, not just those of targeted homes, which is often where campaigns target more limited resources.

Read the full story here.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., said this afternoon that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum came "pretty damn close" to perjury during his testimony about Trump's proposed triumphal arch.

“Secretary Burgum told me, Oh, there is no project," Huffman told reporters outside Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

"There’s not even a proposal, no final agency action. There’s just a discussion about maybe doing something. Well, this doesn’t look like a discussion,” he said, pointing at workers who are operating drilling equipment outside the cemetery.

Huffman and other lawmakers have filed an amicus brief in federal court, opposing the plan to erect the arch at the entrance to Arlington Cemetery.

“This is a monstrosity that will loom over Arlington Cemetery, not as a tribute to our fallen war heroes, but as a tribute to a draft dodger who mocked our fallen World War II veterans as suckers and losers,” Huffman said.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have sent Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding he resign because of his "lack of candor" about his connections to Jeffrey Epstein when the panel interviewed him last week.

“You attempted to evade responsibility for your actions and avoided being clear with the American public. The facts are clear: you lied to the American people and attempted to conceal your relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in your public statements. Your lack of candor demonstrates that you are unfit to perform the duties required of you as secretary of Commerce, and you must step down immediately,” the letter said.

A spokesperson for Commerce called the resignation demand "baseless and politically motivated" in a statement. Lutnick, the spokesperson said, answered "nearly 400 questions from members and staff, ending only when members said they had nothing more to ask. He explained repeatedly that three encounters did not constitute a relationship, and the committee adjourned without identifying any evidence to the contrary.”

The Democrats' letter focused primarily on Lutnick's explanation to the panel for why it wasn't dishonest for him to say he was never with his next-door neighbor Epstein socially after an encounter they had in 2005 when he, his wife and children visited Epstein's private island in 2012.

A new organization with unknown origins and funding has hit the Iowa airwaves with an ad promoting state Sen. Zach Wahls in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary there next month.

The 30-second spot, paid for by Iowa Action, urges a vote for Wahls, who has condemned dark money while fighting state Rep. Josh Turek for their party’s nomination. 

“In the state Senate, he fought the political insiders and insurance companies who were making everything more expensive,” a narrator says of Wahls. “Today, D.C. insiders are spending millions to stop him, because they know he’ll be a pain in their side. Zach can’t be bought. He’s a fighter for Iowa. Always has been.”

Seven years ago, on the campaign trail in New Hampshire, Joe Biden boldly proclaimed that Republicans would have an “epiphany” after they lost the 2020 election — they would move on from Trump and work cooperatively with Democrats.

Many Democrats bought into it then. But after Trump stormed back into the White House with a popular-vote win and an Electoral College thumping four years later, Democratic voters are abandoning that vision in favor of a more combative style of politics.

Read the full story here.

Chinese state-controlled companies have discussed with Iranian officials a possible plan to secretly sell weapons to Tehran, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.

The plan involved the Chinese companies shipping the weapons through third-party countries to conceal their origin, the sources said.

The New York Times first reported on the discussions about the weapons sales plan.

It’s unclear if the arms sales have taken place or what weapons may have been shipped to Iran before or after the start of the war.

He is the biggest draw in American politics, a sitting president who created a movement that has been steadfastly loyal to him for more than a decade.

He may also be the most polarizing figure in American politics, now presiding over rising inflation and a Middle East war with no clear end in sight.

Read the full story here.

Vance says Collins is 'a good fit' for Maine despite his occasional frustrations

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The vice president offered a vote of confidence today for Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican who voted to convict Trump at his 2021 impeachment trial and faces a tough re-election fight this year in Maine.

“Sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins,” Vance said during a speech in Bangor, Maine. “I almost wish that she was more partisan. But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent, because Maine is an independent state. And, frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

Read the full story here.

The House will vote around 4 p.m. today on a war powers resolution that would direct the president to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran, according to the floor schedule. 

This resolution is sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and has all of the Democrats originally opposed to Iran war powers resolutions as co-sponsors. 

Democrats will need more Republicans than just Rep. Tom Massie, R-Ky., to vote in support to be successful. He was the only Republican to support the last Iran war powers resolution that failed. 

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., told NBC News she plans to return to the House next week after missing a month's worth of votes.

Wilson, 83, last voted in the House on April 17 and is not working this week.

"She's recovering from a procedure, and I expect that she'll be back shortly," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters.

Her absence was noted by journalist Jamie Dupree amid coverage of another missing member of Congress, Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J.

Kean, 57, has not voted in the House since March 5. His office has said he is dealing with a "personal health matter" and has not provided additional details or said when he is expected to return.

Vance spent a portion of his speech in Maine criticizing Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, arguing she has not done enough to stop fraud in the state. He called on Maine voters to "kick Janet Mills to the curb."

Moments later, someone in the audience shouted out.

"This guy just said, 'Send 'em to Gitmo,'" Vance said, referring to Guantanamo Bay, where the U.S. holds people suspected of terrorism. "No comment, sir, but I kind of like sending the fraudsters to Gitmo. We got to get them out of this country, and we got to get them out of this country."

First lady Melania Trump didn't join Trump on his trip to China because she's focused on her responsibilities prioritizing "America’s families and children in her initiatives here at home," according to a source familiar with the trip to China and her decision not to go.

The first lady did not have prior knowledge that director Brett Ratner, who produced the documentary "Melania," was going to travel on Air Force One to Beijing, this source said. She “only works with Mr. Ratner on her film,” the source said. 

Ratner reportedly is scouting filming locations for "Rush Hour 4" while on the trip, a franchise the president has privately advocated for reviving, although the status of the project is unclear as of now. 

Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that China will be ordering 200 Boeing aircraft to help secure American manufacturing jobs.

"We talked about a lot of things, too many things to discuss," Trump said in the interview clip.

Trump continued, "One thing he agreed to today, he’s gonna order 200 jets. That’s a big thing — Boeings — 200 big ones. That’s a lot of jobs. Boeing wanted 150. He got 200."

The construction and delivery of planes could be uncertain in the near term, however, based on previous deals.

When Trump visited the Middle East last year, the White House touted an agreement from a Saudi air leasing firm to buy 30 Boeing planes. While the deal between the Saudi firm and Boeing was signed, the delivery of those jets is not projected until 2032, well after the president is out of office.

Vance shouted out Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in his remarks in Bangor, though he said he is sometimes frustrated with her.

"Here's the thing I'll say about Susan Collins, is sometimes I get frustrated with Susan Collins," he said. "I almost wish that she was more partisan."

Vice President JD Vance in Bangor, Maine, today. Tierney L. Cross / Pool / Getty Images

"But the thing I love about Susan is she is independent because Maine is an independent state and, frankly, if she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was, she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine," he added. "So let's give a shoutout to Susan Collins, who's doing a great job."

Collins is running for re-election in what is expected to be a closely contested race. Democrats are eyeing Collins' seat as a top prospect to flip in their quest to turn the Senate blue.

Senators unanimously approved a measure this afternoon to withhold their own pay during federal government shutdowns.

The resolution, offered by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., passed by voice vote and takes effect after the 2026 midterm elections. It does not need to pass the House or be signed into law.

Read the full story here.

Sen. Bill Cassidy’s advocacy for vaccines and his résumé as a doctor have defined his political career.

Now, those credentials are putting his Senate future in peril as Cassidy, R-La., prepares for the most difficult primary of his life Saturday.

Read the full story here.

The Senate is expected to adopt a resolution that would withhold its pay during government shutdowns.

Senators are expected to adopt the measure shortly by voice vote, meaning no roll call vote will be needed. The Senate unanimously advanced the resolution yesterday in a 99-0 vote. 

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., in Washington, D.C. Nathan Posner / Anadolu via Getty Images file

The bill, introduced by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., says that during any government shutdown, "the Secretary of the Senate shall disburse and hold any payments otherwise required to be made with respect to such period for the compensation of each Senator.”

Under the measure, senators would be retroactively paid "as soon as practicable" after a shutdown ends.

Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that Xi “would like to see a deal made” with Iran and offered his help in doing so.

“Look, anybody that buys that much oil has obviously got some kind of a relationship with him," Trump said in a clip from the sit-down. "But he said, ‘I would love to be a help. If I could be of any help whatsoever.’ ... He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open.”

Trump also said the two leaders spoke about China’s support for Iran during their meeting today, adding that Xi told him he would not provide military equipment to the country.

“That’s a big statement," Trump said. "He said that today. That’s a big statement. He said that strongly. But at the same time, he said, you know, they buy a lot of their oil there, and they’d like to keep doing that."

The Senate has confirmed Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh to lead the Federal Reserve. The vote fell mostly along party lines. Warsh will replace Jerome Powell as chair of the world’s most powerful central bank. Powell plans to remain on the Fed’s board even after his term as chair ends.

Senate Confirms Kevin Warsh as Next Federal Reserve Chair

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The House has launched a bipartisan effort aimed at combating sexual misconduct on Capitol Hill.

The effort will be spearheaded by the Republican and Democratic women’s caucuses, which are led by Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., and Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., respectively. Their goal will be to identify potential reforms and solutions to make the workplace a safer environment for staff.

This comes amid a reckoning in Congress over sexual misconduct, following the resignations of former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas. There are also still several ethics investigations into alleged misconduct by sitting members, including Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Chuck Edwards, R-N.C.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., applauded the new bipartisan effort in a statement, noting he has two daughters who work on Capitol Hill.

A group of Miami residents sued yesterday in an effort to prevent Trump’s presidential library from occupying a prime piece of waterfront property in the city.

The lawsuit argues that state officials violated the Constitution when they transferred the downtown property for the library, which Trump has teased as a towering skyscraper. Specifically, the suit says Florida officials violated the emoluments clause, which says sitting presidents cannot accept gifts or advantages from any state that goes beyond their fixed salary.

Read the full story here.

While Trump and Xi discuss the situation in the Middle East, the Iran war is also the top issue in New Delhi today, as foreign ministers of several countries meet today at the BRICS summit.

The attendees include Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the United Arab Emirates' Deputy Foreign Minister Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar.

“Safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said today.

Meanwhile, Araghchi called on the BRICS nations to condemn what he said was a blatant violation of international law by the U.S. and Israel.

BRICS, which was founded in 2011 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, also includes South Africa, Iran, Egypt, the UAE, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, speaks with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji in New Delhi today. Arun Sankar / AFP via Getty Images

China would prefer not to take military action against Taiwan, Rubio said in an interview with NBC News, despite Beijing's vow to use force if necessary to gain control over the self-ruling democracy it claims as its territory.

Taiwan is one of the most sensitive issues in relations between China and the U.S., which like most countries has no formal relations with the island but is its biggest international backer and arms supplier. During their meeting today, Xi warned Trump that disputes over Taiwan could jeopardize the U.S.-China relationship, leading to “clashes and even conflicts.”

“I think China’s preference is probably to have Taiwan willingly, voluntarily join them,” Rubio told Tom Llamas of “NBC Nightly News” today in Beijing. “In a perfect world, what they would want is some vote or a referendum in Taiwan that agrees to fold in.”

In an annual report in March, the U.S. intelligence community also said China would prefer to gain control of Taiwan peacefully and that there is no invasion planned for 2027, a year that has been frequently cited by U.S. military officials and others because of its symbolic value as the 100th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army.

At the high-stakes summit between the United States and China, Xi called a stable relationship between the two nations “good for the world” and added that the U.S. and China should be “partners, not rivals.” Trump also played up his personal relationship with Xi and showered the leader with praise. In private, Xi warned Trump that the most important bilateral issue to China is Taiwan and that if it’s mishandled, the two countries will “have clashes, or even conflicts,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. NBC’s Garrett Haake reports for "TODAY" from Beijing.

China's Xi Jinping Warns Trump About Taiwan at Beijing Summit

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Marco Rubio traveled with Trump to Beijing despite being under Chinese sanctions in what appears to be a first for a sitting U.S. secretary of state.

Rubio, who was a senator at the time, was sanctioned by China in 2020 over his criticism of its human rights record, especially in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang region and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong.

The Chinese government has not publicly said that the sanctions have been lifted, but it indicated earlier this year that they would not prevent Rubio from traveling to Beijing for the summit now that he is secretary of state.

Rubio attends a state banquet today in Beijing. Alex Wong / Getty Images

Rubio said there was “no context” behind a tracksuit he was pictured wearing on the flight to China that is similar in style to the one worn by Nicolás Maduro when he was captured in Venezuela by U.S. forces.

“There’s no context. It’s a nice suit. I mean, I like it. It’s comfortable,” Rubio said today in an interview in Beijing with Tom Llamas of “NBC Nightly News.”

If anything, “he copied me because I had it before,” said Rubio, who appeared in the suit in a photo posted online by White House communications director Steven Cheung.

“I don’t know when he bought his. I didn’t even know that was his,” he said.

The bottom line, Rubio said, is that “it’s comfortable. I don’t know. There was no message. I didn’t even know he was taking the picture.”

Marco Rubio wearing a Nike tracksuit on board Air Force One that resembles the tracksuit Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro wore after his capture.  @StevenCheung47 via X; @realDonaldTrump via TruthSocial

Trump discussed the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during a summit with Xi, Marco Rubio told NBC News in an exclusive interview today, adding that the United States was not asking for China’s help with Iran.“The Chinese side said they are not in favor of militarizing the Strait of Hormuz, and they’re not in favor of a tolling system, and that’s our position,” America’s top diplomat said in Beijing after Trump, Xi and their delegations held more than two hours of talks.

Read the full story here.

U.S. Taiwan policies ‘unchanged’ after Trump-Xi meeting, Rubio says

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Trump and the U.S. delegation are departing the state banquet, which took place at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.

Flanked by officials, the president descended a large staircase adorned with a red carpet before entering his car.

Both Trump and Xi delivered remarks at the banquet, and the two had a bilateral meeting earlier today.

President Donald Trump leaves after the state dinner at the Great Hall of the People today. Mark Schiefelbein / AP

China said today that it is willing to work with the United States to promote a healthy and stable bilateral relationship, according to the country’s foreign ministry spokesperson.

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun also said that a “constructive and strategically stable China-U.S. relationship” would help guide ties between the two countries over the next three years.

“The two sides reached a consensus on establishing a new positioning of a constructive and strategically stable China-U.S. relationship,” Guo said during a regular briefing.

Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with Xi at the Great Hall of the People today. Mark Schiefelbein / AP

A comment made by Trump during his opening remarks ahead of today’s bilateral meeting with Xi has gained traction on Chinese social media.

“We asked the top 30 in the world, every single one of them said yes, and I didn’t want the second or the third in the company. I wanted only the top. And they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China,” Trump told Xi of the American companies whose CEOs came with him to Beijing.

The remarks ranked second in Weibo’s Society section and had drawn about 3 million impressions on the Chinese social media platform, which is similar to X.

“They want to cooperate with each other,” one user wrote in a comment that received nearly 1,300 reposts and more than 900 replies.

President Donald Trump makes a toast as he attends a state banquet with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

As Trump and Xi toast each other at the banquet dinner, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin will also be visiting China in the very near future.

Speaking with reporters earlier today, spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked if the dates for Putin's visit can be made public.

"We will make the announcement in due time," Peskov said. "Preparations are over and the visit will happen in the very near future."

Beijing has maintained close economic and security ties with Moscow despite the invasion of Ukraine, having refused to join the international sanctions and the isolation of Russia over the war.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview on CNBC that the U.S. and China are coordinating on AI safety.

"We're going to set up a protocol in terms of how do we go forward with best practices for AI to make sure nonstate actors don't get ahold of these models," he said.

"I am highly confident that we can have a very good transition into this exciting new technology," Bessent added.

Speaking on CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said today's agenda in Beijing for Xi and Trump involves "the economics, the deliverables" and business dealings.

"We're going to talk about a board of investment that will be responsible for investment in nonsensitive areas," Bessent said.

Asked if China would make an investment in the U.S. in the trillions of dollars, Bessent downplayed that possibility, saying, "I'm not sure where this trillion-dollar investment number has come from. It's somehow gotten out into the ether."

However, Bessent did say that he expects to see China made a "large Boeing order," but did not provide specific details.

Asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Bessent did not say whether China had agreed to help reopen it but added, as he has often recently, that it would be "in their interest" to do so. "I think they're going to do what they can," he said.

We know what's on the agenda in talks, and now we know what's on the menu.

The state banquet is as elaborate in its cuisine as it is in its decor, according to the White House.

The menu includes lobster in tomato soup, crispy beef ribs, stewed seasonal vegetables, and slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce.

The Chinese classic Beijing roast duck is also on the menu, along with pan-fried pork bun and trumpet shell-shaped pastry. All of that is topped off with tiramisu, fruits and ice cream.

The U.S. policy on Taiwan is "unchanged," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News in an exclusive interview today after the talks between Trump and Xi.

“Our policies on that have not changed,” Rubio said. “It’s been pretty consistent across multiple presidential administrations, and remains consistent now.”

03:03

The Chinese leader warned Trump that tensions over Taiwan could jeopardize the relationship, leading to “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue is not handled carefully, according to Beijing’s readout of the talks. 

In his toast prior to Trump's remarks, the Chinese leader also said that the U.S.-China relationship is "the most important bilateral relationship in the world."

"We must make it work and never mess it up," he said, adding that the countries must be “partners” instead of “rivals.”

During his opening toast a little while ago, Xi said that he and Trump had held "multiple meetings and phone calls" and kept relations between the two countries "generally stable."

Xi, who called Trump's visit "historic," was speaking at the top of the state banquet he was hosting for Trump.

"Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and Making America Great Again can go hand in hand," he said.

Trump thanked Xi for the hospitality in hosting the American delegation and extended an invite to the White House later this year, on Sept. 24.

The president has now delivered his toast ahead of the banquet.

He said that he had held "extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today."

He thanked his host for a "magnificent welcome" and described the evening as "another cherished opportunity among friends."

Trump says U.S. and China share 'deep sense of mutual respect' at state banquet

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Trump is now giving his toast at the Great Hall of the People after arriving for a state banquet hosted by Xi.

The Chinese leader was pictured giving a speech to attendees at the dinner.

Alex Wong / Getty Images

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk said that talks with the Chinese president were “awesome” after he joined Trump in Beijing today. 

“It was awesome,” Musk said when asked about the talks ahead of the state banquet, before being led away by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Elon Musk attends a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today. Alex Wong / Getty Images

Trump has arrived at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing for the state banquet.

Inside the hall are giant chandeliers, blue and gold balconies and a large orange backdrop with pagoda-style roofs that say "welcoming banquet" with U.S. and Chinese flags. 

While Taiwan has been an important topic at every U.S.-China summit, today's meeting did not produce any surprises, a spokesperson for the Beijing-claimed island told reporters.

Taipei was closely monitoring the meeting and was in close contact with Washington, the spokesperson for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said.

The comments followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s warning to Trump that mishandling of the Taiwan issue would cause “clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said.

A key feature of this pivotal visit to China by Trump is the roster of American business titans and chief executives joining him on the trip.

All 17 of them including Tim Cook, Jensen Huang and Elon Musk held meetings today in the north wing of the Great Hall of the People with China’s premier Li Qiang (who during his days as Shanghai’s Communist Party chief was instrumental in paving the way for Tesla's rise in China).

When the executives walked along the red carpet in a cavernous hallway to reach the meeting room, I asked Nvidia’s Huang why it was important for him to make the trip.

Tim Cook and Jensen Huang in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today. Johannes Neudecker / DPA via Getty Images

“This is an incredible opportunity for me,” he said. “I’m focused on one thing: to represent the United States and support the president.”

Huang was such a last-minute addition to the delegation that he flew to Alaska to meet up with Air Force One while it was refueling.

The White House has now offered its readout of the Trump-Xi talks, making no mention of Taiwan despite its prominence in the Chinese readout. It refers extensively to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz.

“President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China," a White House official said.

"The two sides discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between our two countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment into our industries. Leaders from many of the United States’ largest companies joined a portion of the meeting," the official said.

News of Trump meeting Xi is broadcast in Taiwan's capital Taipei today. I-Hwa Cheng / AFP via Getty Images

"The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,” the White House official added.

China will expand the "list of areas for cooperation, narrowing the list of issues," and promote the healthy development of its economic and trade relations with the U.S., Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson He Yongqian said today at a regular news briefing, according to Xinhua news agency.

He commented on trade talks between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in South Korea yesterday.

"The two sides conducted candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges on resolving each other’s economic and trade concerns and further expanding practical cooperation," the Xinhua report said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has condemned Russia for launching a "barbaric attack" on the Ukrainian capital just as Trump and Xi were meeting in China.

"Right at the time when the leaders of the most powerful countries meet in Beijing and the world hopes for peace, predictability, and cooperation, Putin launched hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, at the capital of Ukraine," Sybiha said in a post on X earlier this morning.

Ukrainian emergency services search through the rubble of a partially collapsed building following Russian strikes on Kyiv today. Diego Fedele / Getty Images

The Ukrainian authorities reported two dead in Kyiv as a result of the overnight strikes that destroyed an entire section of a residential building. There were dead and injured in other cities across the country as well, officials said.

"This barbaric attack during such an important summit shows that the Russian regime poses a global threat to international security. Instead of peace and development, Moscow pursues aggression and terror," he said, adding that he hoped the leaders of the United States and China have "enough leverage" over Moscow to tell Putin to finally end the war.

“China’s military threat is the sole source of insecurity in the Taiwan Strait and the broader Indo-Pacific region,” Taiwanese Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee has said after Xi's comments that the idea of Taiwanese independence was not compatible with peace along the Taiwan Strait.

“Continuous enhancement of defense and effective joint deterrence are the most critical factors to ensuring regional security,” Lee told a reporter when asked about Xi's comments.

During today’s meeting, the Chinese president told Trump that trade wars have “no winner,” adding that U.S.-China economic and trade ties are “mutually beneficial.” 

Trump and Xi inspect a guard of honor during a welcome ceremony in Beijing today. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

“Our economic and trade teams produced generally balanced and positive outcomes. This is good news for the people of the two countries and the world,” Xi said, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

“The two sides should jointly sustain the good momentum that we have worked hard to create,” Xi said, Mao wrote in a post on X.

The talks between Xi and Trump, which lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes, included some of the most contentious issues in the U.S.-China relationship, according to a readout of their meeting published by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Foremost was the Beijing-claimed island of Taiwan, with Xi saying it was the “most important issue.” Xi urged the U.S to handle the issue with “prudence,” warning the two powers could end up in a conflict otherwise. Xi also emphasized stability and “moderated competition” in their relationship.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. It offered no further details on the substance of those discussions. Trump had earlier cast doubt on whether the two leaders would discuss the Iran war.

The two leaders have now left the Temple of Heaven following their summit.

Trump is expected to head back to his hotel before he returns to the Great Hall of the People, where he will attend a state banquet in his honor.

President Trump visits Temple of Heaven following historic U.S.-China summit

29:42

There was another brief delay while American staff and reporters had an even more spirited discussion with Chinese officials, who several times tried to stop them from leaving and joining the motorcade.

Moments ago, Chinese security appeared to be blocking the U.S. press pool from departing the Temple of Heaven.

The scene escalated as U.S. government staff insisted the reporters leave.

Trump and Xi posed briefly for a photo below the steps of the Temple of Heaven during their visit moments ago.

Trump and Xi visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing today. Brendan Smialowsk / AFP via Getty Images

Trump was asked about the talks, telling reporters, “It’s great. Great place, incredible. China is beautiful.”

He was repeatedly asked if Taiwan came up in the meeting, which Beijing has said it did, but Trump did not engage.

Xi warned Trump today that disagreements over the Beijing-claimed island of Taiwan could put U.S.-China ties in "great jeopardy."

Trump at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing today. Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images

Xi stressed to Trump that Taiwan is the most important issue in U.S.-China relations, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X, adding that if the issue is handled properly, the relationship can maintain “overall stability.”

“Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” spokesperson Mao Ning wrote. 

China warns Taiwan tensions could jeopardize U.S. relationship

08:13

Trump and Xi have arrived at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images

Today’s meeting between Trump and Xi ended after about 2 hours and 15 minutes, lasting approximately 35 minutes longer than the two leaders’ last meeting in Busan, South Korea, last October. 

Now that their bilateral meeting has finished, Trump and Xi are visiting the Temple of Heaven, a popular tourist site in Beijing.

The vast architectural masterpiece, which was built in 1420, is an imperial altar complex best known for the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a circular wooden hall with a three-tiered, blue-tiled roof. Trump is the first sitting U.S. president to visit the site since Gerald Ford in 1975.

People walk outside the closed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Tuesday. Kevin Frayer / Getty Images

In Chinese tradition, the Temple of Heaven represents harmony between heaven and humanity. Emperors used it for nearly five centuries for rituals seeking good harvests.

The site has been closed to tourists in the days leading up to the Trump-Xi summit in anticipation of a presidential stop. In a sign of the coming visit, a once-bumpy stretch of road before the north gate underwent an overnight repair.

The Trump-Xi bilateral meeting has wrapped, according to a White House official. It lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The two leaders will now head to the Temple of Heaven, a popular Beijing tourist site.

Trump and Xi Jinping greeting officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today. Kenny Holston / Getty Images

Elon Musk traveled to China with Trump this week, despite the ongoing trial over his lawsuit with OpenAI and a federal judge’s order that he remain ready to be recalled to testify on short notice.

The trial is for a lawsuit that Musk filed against artificial intelligence startup OpenAI. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, alleges that the company has betrayed its original nonprofit mission by creating a for-profit arm. He testified in the trial in Oakland, California, over three days last month.

Before Musk left the witness stand April 30, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers asked the parties whether there was any reason to hold him in “recall status,” meaning he should be available to testify again if called to do so. OpenAI lawyers said, “Yes.” The judge instructed him: “OK, Mr. Musk, you are not excused, but you can leave for the day.”

But Musk is now in China with Trump on a state visit.

Read the full story here.

Taiwan says it is confident that U.S. policy toward the Beijing-claimed island will not change during Trump’s meeting with Xi but that it is preparing for “surprises.”

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung told lawmakers this week that U.S. officials had repeatedly said, publicly and privately, that Washington’s Taiwan policy remains unchanged, according to Taiwan’s government-funded Central News Agency. Like most countries, the U.S. has no formal relations with self-ruling Taiwan, but it is the democracy’s biggest international backer and arms supplier.

One concern is whether Trump could agree to a subtle shift in language that is closer to Beijing’s preferred wording, changing Washington’s longtime stance from “not supporting” Taiwanese independence to “opposing” it.

Lin said that while Beijing may try to press Trump on Taiwan, which is one of the most sensitive issues in U.S.-China relations, Taipei is staying in close contact with Washington and preparing for possible “surprises.”

As Trump and Xi meet in Beijing, families of Americans detained in China are hoping anxiously for signs that their loved ones might soon come home.

Among the detained Americans are Nelson Wells Jr., a 52-year-old from Louisiana, and Dawn Michelle Hunt, a 54-year-old from Illinois, who were arrested in separate cases in 2014 and are accused of smuggling drugs, which their families say was unwitting.

Trump has also indicated he will raise the case of Ezra Jin, a Chinese pastor arrested in October who founded China’s Zion Church, the country’s largest network of unofficial “house churches.” His daughter Grace Jin Drexel, who along with his wife lives in the U.S., said last year that his arrest “is a clear indicator of increased persecution of Christians and the CCP’s blatant disregard for freedom of religion.”

 “I’m going to bring his name up,” Trump said this week.

CORRECTION (May 14, 2026, 5:55 a.m. ET): A previous version of this post misstated the detention status of Americans Mark Swidan and Kai Li. China released them in 2024.

Trump is attending the Beijing summit alongside top American CEOs, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Larry Fink. NBC News’ Brian Cheung reports on the invited CEOs and the highly anticipated talks between China and the U.S.

Trump's invite of top CEOs is a 'posturing' from the U.S. on making a China deal

01:43

In his remarks earlier today, Xi referred to the Thucydides Trap, a theory popularized by Harvard scholar Graham Allison that suggests a high risk of war between an emerging and an established power.

“The world has come to a new crossroads,” Xi said in opening remarks ahead of bilateral U.S.-China talks. “Can China and the United States overcome the so-called Thucydides Trap and create a new model of relations between major countries?”

Xi has discussed the concept, which refers to the ancient Greek war between Sparta and Athens, at several key moments in U.S.-China relations, including during a 2014 interview, his 2015 state visit to the U.S. and his meeting with President Joe Biden in Peru in 2024.

“These are questions of history, questions of the world and questions of the people,” Xi said today. “They are also the answers that you and I, as leaders of major countries, must write for our times.”

Trump said he will ask Xi about Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher who was sentenced to 20 years in prison this year after he was convicted in a landmark national security trial.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai in 2020. Anthony Wallace / AFP - Getty Images file

The case against Lai, who was one of the most prominent critics of China’s ruling Communist Party, has become a symbol of Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. China describes Lai as the “mastermind” of pro-democracy protests that roiled Hong Kong for months in 2019.

Lai, 78, who could spend the rest of his life in prison, “caused lots of turmoil for China,” Trump said this week.

“He tried to do the right thing. He wasn’t successful. Went to jail, and people would like him out,” he said. “And I’d like to see him get out, too. So I’ll bring him up again.”

More than 7 in 10 Americans say tariffs on Chinese imports are bad for China, while about two-thirds believe they are also harmful to the U.S., according to a new survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, NPR and Ipsos.

The poll found that more than half of respondents viewed China’s growing economic power as the biggest threat to the U.S., while 29% said China’s military strength posed the greatest danger.

More than 75% of Americans said they believe China wants to play a dominant role in the world. By comparison, only 41% of Chinese respondents shared that view, according to a 2025 Chicago Council-Carter Center poll.

Americans are also likelier to view China as a rival (37%) or an adversary (21%) than as an ally (2%) or a necessary partner (18%).

More than 1 in 4 Americans now hold favorable views of China, up nearly 6 percentage points from last year, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March and published last month.

Confidence in Trump’s ability to make good policy decisions related to China, however, has declined. About 39% of Americans said they were confident in Trump’s handling of China, down from nearly 45% in August.

Bus passengers at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday. Kevin Frayer / Getty Images

The partisan divide was stark: 71% of Republicans expressed confidence in Trump’s approach to China, compared with just 11% of Democrats.

A majority of Americans also said they do not trust Xi to make the right decisions about world affairs, though that share has declined slightly over the past two years. Fewer Americans now describe China as an enemy compared with last year, although most still hold that view.

The Trump-Xi talks will build on agreements the two leaders reached during their last in-person meeting in South Korea in October, including a trade truce.

“I think first and foremost, there’s likely to be a reaffirmation and extension of the truce in the trade war that was reached,” said Evan Medeiros, a senior adviser at the Asia Group. “So basically, take the agreements at Busan and just extend them for another year or more.”

In addition, he said, “I think there’s likely to be a Chinese agreement to purchase U.S. agriculture goods and planes, so a big Boeing deal.”

Third, the U.S. and China may form what is being called a Board of Trade, which “will basically be a mechanism for managed trade in which both sides use age-old trade tools like quotas and voluntary export restraints,” said Medeiros, who was the National Security Council’s director for China, Taiwan and Mongolia during the Obama administration.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who accompanied Trump on Air Force One to China, says meetings so far in China have been “excellent.”

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang in Beijing on Thursday.  Alex Wong / Getty Images

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also flew with Trump and Huang, said he wanted to “accomplish many good things” during the trip, according to comments relayed by Reuters.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, soon to be its executive chairman, was seen flashing a thumbs-up when reporters asked him how the trip is going.

In his opening remarks to Trump, Xi did not mention the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran or other global conflicts, instead sticking to broad calls for stable bilateral relations.

“The common interests between China and the United States outweigh our differences,” Xi said. “Stability in China-U.S. relations is a boon to the world.”

Trump also avoided mentioning the Iran war, which has loomed over his summit with Xi and caused it to be postponed by six weeks. Nonetheless, Trump will be looking to get Beijing’s help in persuading Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping route whose effective shutdown has disrupted global energy supplies.

Xi began the talks with Trump by emphasizing that the world is watching and is “at a new crossroads.” He sat directly across from Trump at the center of a long oval table, lined with officials on both sides.

The question now, Xi said, is “whether China and the United States can transcend the so-called Thucydides Trap and pioneer a new paradigm of major-country relations,” referring to a term that describes the tendency toward conflict when an emerging power threatens an existing power.

‘We should be partners, not rivals’: Chinese President Xi Jinping opens bilateral talks

01:20

“We should be partners, not rivals, achieve success for one another, prosper together and forge a correct way for major countries of the new era to get along with each other,” Xi added.

Trump hailed their “fantastic relationship” and said he had “such respect” for Xi and China, praising him as a “great leader.” He added that the U.S. delegation looked forward to discussing reciprocal trade, and that it was an “honor” to be there.

After Xi and Trump made opening remarks celebrating the U.S.-China relationship, the bilateral talks are continuing behind closed doors.

Members of both delegations are expected to participate in the private session.

Trump told Xi that he looks forward to doing business with China, saying he brought “the greatest businessmen” in the world to the summit.

“I wanted only the top, and they’re here today to pay respects to you and to China, and they look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf,” Trump said.

Trump traveled to China with several top CEOs, including those of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Nvidia, Blackstone, GE Aerospace, Boeing and Visa.

He said that when he asked the “top 30 in the world, every single one of them said yes.”

Trump says U.S. and China have a 'fantastic relationship' during summit

02:11

The U.S. and Chinese delegations are now seated inside the Great Hall of the People.

Trump and Xi attend a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.  Alex Wong / Getty Images

Xi kicked off the bilateral talks, with Trump speaking after him.

“We’ve had a fantastic relationship, we’ve gotten along when there were difficulties, we worked it out,” Trump said. “I would call you, and you would call me, and whenever we had a problem, people don’t know whenever we had a problem, we worked it out very quickly.”

Trump and Xi are inside the Great Hall of the People, where they are expected to begin their meeting.

The Chinese and U.S. delegations walked into the hall shortly after the leaders.

As Trump and Xi walked around the plaza in front of the Great Hall of People, they passed a group of children who began jumping and cheering.

Trump smiled and waved to the children, stopping for a moment to watch as they jumped while holding miniature American and Chinese flags and small bouquets of flowers.

Honor guard and school children greet Trump and Xi at Beijing arrival ceremony

01:34

Upon arriving at the site of the welcoming ceremony, Trump shook hands with a few top Chinese officials, one of whom is China’s top negotiator on tariffs and trade matters.

That official, Vice Premier He Lifeng, met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in South Korea yesterday ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting to discuss the “economic and trade relationship” between the world’s two biggest economies, according to Bessent.

Tariffs, trade and export controls are set to be a top agenda item during Trump’s visit.

Trump shakes hands with Xi at start of historic U.S.-China summit

03:02

After brief opening remarks, the two leaders will hold their first bilateral meeting of the trip and reunite later today for an expected visit to the Temple of Heaven, a popular tourist site in Beijing.

Xi greets Trump outside the Great Hall of the People.  Alex Wong / Getty Images

The two leaders are set to meet again this evening for a lavish state banquet.

Xi shook hands with members of the U.S. delegation, which includes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump also shook hands with a few members of the Chinese delegation outside the hall.

Xi arrived at the Great Hall of the People, walking down its front steps and passing by the U.S. delegation.

Trump arrived in his motorcade moments afterward, stepping out to meet Xi at the bottom of the hall’s steps.

During his last visit in 2017, Trump also stood with Xi on the steps of this ornate building bordering the west side of Tiananmen Square, the site of a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989.

Members of the U.S. delegation and CEOs from various industries before a welcome ceremony for Trump at the Great Hall of the People. Alex Wong / Getty Images

A group of major CEOs is gathered on the steps of Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, waiting to welcome Xi and Trump.

They include the chief executives of Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Nvidia, Blackstone, GE Aerospace, Boeing and Visa.

Trump said earlier this week that his “very first request” to Xi would be to “open up” China for those American companies, some of which already operate in China, although in limited ways.

Today’s meeting in Beijing is the first of as many as four in-person encounters Trump and Xi could have this year.

Xi, who last visited the U.S. in 2023, is expected to reciprocate Trump’s visit with one of his own later this year. He could also make a separate trip when the U.S. hosts the G20 summit in December.

Trump may also travel to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in November, when China hosts the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Trump's motorcade is on the way to the Great Hall of the People, where he will meet with Xi at about 10 p.m. ET (10 a.m. Thursday local time).

This week’s summit between Trump and Xi will “provide the baseline for several really important conversations about the U.S.-China relationship in the years and decades to come,” said Rana Mitter, a professor of U.S.-Asia relations at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“It will help set terms on trade, which is of course one of the most controversial areas between the two sides, particularly on areas such as China’s trade surplus and the U.S.’ need to export agricultural products,” Mitter told NBC News.

He said the summit would also start a conversation about the Beijing-claimed island of Taiwan, though an immediate resolution is unlikely, “and will also start a real conversation about technology and AI.”

Though AI is a relatively new issue in U.S.-China relations, “I think the fact there are so many tech moguls who have accompanied the president on this trip show how important that’s going to be,” Mitter said.

According to the White House, more than a dozen American CEOs are accompanying Trump, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Elon Musk of SpaceX and Tesla and Jensen Huang, whose company Nvidia is a central player in AI.

Trump arrived in Beijing for a critical summit where he says he will push for Xi to “open up” China to American businesses. “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas reports.

Trump arrives in China for high-stakes summit

02:44

Trump will begin a two-day summit with Xi in Beijing this evening as the world’s two biggest economies look to stabilize a trade truce against the backdrop of the simmering U.S. conflict with Iran.

Trump’s visit, the first by a U.S. president since his own trip nine years ago, will be “a wild one,” he promised this year, recounting at an event in Washington that he had told Xi “to put on the biggest display you’ve ever had in the history of China.”

Trump, who arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport this morning, has consistently framed his relationship with Xi in personal and warm terms, but this trip carries more pressure than either side will publicly acknowledge.

Trade will be at the forefront of discussions, and Trump is bringing more than a dozen chief executives with him to Beijing, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, who ran Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang joined Trump on the tarmac in Alaska for the second leg of the flight to China.

Read the full story here.