Xi presses Trump on Taiwan stance, Starmer’s ally hangs him out to dry, Russia launches largest aerial attack on Ukraine

Xi warns Trump on Taiwan despite friendly start to meetings

US President Trump and Chinese President Xi on Thursday exchanged friendly toasts and reiterations of commitment on the first day of a Beijing summit flush with pageantry. The friendly tone suggests that both sides hope to maintain the current status quo of fragile detente in a relationship marked by deep differences over trade, technology, and China’s regional ambitions in the Pacific. The only moment of slight tension so far came on the topic of Taiwan – Xi warned of a “clash” if the issue was “handled poorly.” Ahead of the meeting experts had wondered whether Trump might soften long-standing US support for the self-governing island, which Beijing considers its own, in exchange for Chinese concessions on trade. So far there is no indication that this has happened. Trump, accompanied by a delegation of CEOs and business leaders, will continue meetings in China until Friday afternoon, including another working lunch with Xi.

Et tu, Streeting? UK leader faces challenge from an ally

One of embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’sclosest allies has turned against him, as Health Secretary Wes Streeting quit on Thursday and called on the PM to follow suit. Streeting, who said he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership, hasn’t yet triggered a formal leadership challenge, but enough Labour MPs have already indicated that they’d support one. Should Streeting pull the trigger and win, he would become PM (and the first openly-gay man to hold that job). But there are major risks: in a vote among Labour members, Starmer, unpopular as he is, could still count on the traditional “incumbency boost” as party leader. What’s more, Streeting might have company: former Deputy PM Angela Rayner (cleared of wrongdoing over a tax issue on Thursday) may enter the race. Rayner is to the left of both Starmer and Streeting, and so is more aligned with the Labour base.

Putin unleashes massive Ukraine attack

Russia over the past 30 hours has launched one of the largest aerial attacks to date on Ukraine, deploying at least 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles against targets across the country. One of the attacks flattened an entire residential complex in the capital, Kyiv, leaving at least eight dead, including a child. The attack comes – perhaps not coincidentally – during Trump’s visit to China. The US president has so far failed to fulfill his promise of ending the largely stalemated war in Ukraine, while Beijing continues to be a key Kremlin ally, purchasing Russian oil and supplying Moscow with technologies banned by the West. Putin isdue to visit China again soon to reinforce their “no limits” friendship.