Trump touches down in Beijing ahead of Xi meeting
When US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping last met in October, the main topics – as they were in prior meetings – were trade, trade, and trade. When the two leaders meet again tomorrow, it won’t be the only issue this time, as Taiwan and the Iran war are also set to form part of the talks. Trump will seek Beijing’s assistance in ending the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz – a shared interest, as China relies on the waterway for many of its crude supplies, though Beijing’s vast oil reserves have allowed them to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing energy prices. Meanwhile Xi is expected to press the US to cut or delay weapons sales to Taipei. Though he is unlikely to attain this goal, the fact that the Chinese president will encourage such a move reflects his more bullish views about China’s place in the world.
Philippine Senate building on lockdown amidst political turmoil
Chaos erupted inside the Philippine Senate this morning as gunshots rang out and military personnel were seen entering the building. The turmoil follows an attempted arrest yesterday of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who evaded capture by taking refuge in the building. Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court for allegedly orchestrating extrajudicial killings of drug dealers during Dela Rosa’s tenure as police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was himself arrested in early 2025. Meanwhile, former President Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, was impeached by the House of Representatives on Monday for the second time in two years, facing allegations of misusing public funds and threatening the current president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. – claims she denies. With presidential elections coming in 2028, factional rivalries may continue to escalate.
