So basically Trump is on the honor system for paying the correct amount of taxes he owes since he has now been given audit immunity by his former criminal defense lawyer. I’m sure we can count on him being honest and paying the correct amount.

China plans to impose mining controls on certain strategic minerals to ensure supply security and protect the finite resources.

Why is News Corp attacking tax reform? Because it’s actually a real estate company www.crikey.com.au/2026/05/20/t...

Four-byline alert: 🚨 “.. underscores how Mr. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel went into the war not only misjudging how quickly they could achieve their objectives but also gambling to some degree on a risky plan for leadership change ..” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing late on Tuesday for talks with his Chinese counterpart and "long-time good friend" Xi Jinping, intending to show their ties are unshakeable days after a visit by Donald Trump.

US tax authorities will be barred from pursuing claims against the president, his eldest sons and the Trump Organization under a deal to halt a $10bn lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service. ft.trib.al/xdM3VVZ

“.. What we are talking about is nothing short of the sitting president of the United States looting from the Treasury for his own gain,” she said. @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/5733...

Morgan Stanley issues China-only iPhones to its Hong Kong bankers ft.trib.al/vZQCTQy

#Beijing traffic gridlock as cars are held back to make way for #Putin’s motorcade to drive through the heart of the Chinese capital… #Russia #China

SCMP: "Sparks flew in a Beijing conference room last week, as diplomats, officials and experts from Europe and China clashed over their deepening trade problems." Joan Robinson warned that large, persistent trade surpluses would lead to retaliation and a contraction in trade. sc.mp/t8wu6?utm_so...

Cuba, like any nation, has a military and weapons that could potentially be used in a conflict. If they USE them, that’s a totally different story, but simply having them is not an act of aggression.

Pretext for the next war, same as pretexts for the last wars. Some old story, same old song and dance.

#Trump said #Xi told him re the Strait of Hormuz and the #Iran conflict, "if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help" but there's been no confirmation from #Beijing that #China's leader said anything like that. Previously the Chinese government has called on the US to cease hostilities

#Trump describing #Xi today: "His physical features, he's tall, very tall and especially for this country because they tend to be a little shorter". He then seemed to be impressed by the height of the military guard of honor saying "You look a the military I mean, the military today was incredible".

#Trump describing #Xi today: "His physical features, he's tall, very tall and especially for this country because they tend to be a little shorter". He then seemed to be impressed by the height of the military guard of honor saying "You look a the military I mean, the military today was incredible".

#Trump said #Xi told him re the Strait of Hormuz and the #Iran conflict, "if I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help" but there's been no confirmation from #Beijing that #China's leader said anything like that. Previously the Chinese government has called on the US to cease hostilities

Donald #Trump is leaving #China…

Spain’s growing reliance on renewable energy has helped keep power prices stable even as the war in the Middle East drives up costs, said the country’s minister for environmental transition

This has come just before #Trump arrives in #China for talks with #Xi. #US #USA www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

This has come just before #Trump arrives in #China for talks with #Xi. #US #USA www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

"Chinese government official circulated prewritten articles ... including a statement that said “there is no genocide in Xinjiang” and no “forced labor” tied to cotton production. Minutes later, prosecutors alleged, Wang reposted the material to her own website..." www.sfgate.com/bayarea/arti...

Good morning, Asia. While you were sleeping, one of our most-read articles was Gideon Rachman’s take on why Xi Jinping holds the cards — and can afford to play a long game — as Donald Trump heads to China this week. ft.trib.al/0mgwYMe

I'd love to blame this on dementia, but it was almost 8 years ago that he gave us: "one of the wettest we've ever seen, from the standpoint of water"

When President Donald Trump travels to China next week for his summit with Xi Jinping, the thinnest ranks of full-time foreign correspondents in decades will be there to greet them. Eliot Chen reports on the dwindling number of U.S. foreign correspondents in China:

sounds like the calibre of the executives who attended dinner with Xi in San Francisco in 2023

Full list

I remember the scorn directed at Scholz, Macron + co from certain quarters in the US and Atlanticist Europe for bringing biz people to China. Now: Trump will be joined in China this week by 16 chief executives, including Elon Musk and Tim Cook. www.nytimes.com/2026...

“STOP! Ye who wish to cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions 3!!” Cangyan Mtn's Bridge Hall, Hebei… the “Flying Temple.” Initially built during the Sui Dynasty, the wooden hall with its double-eaved roof was added in early Tang and later rebuilt in Qing.

OK, this makes me a little worried.

We met Wu Yize as his fans went nuts on his first trip back to #China after becoming world snooker champion. CLICK LINK: www.bbc.com/news/article...

It’s estimated that 60 million people play billiards in #China ever year, in around 300,000 halls like the one in Xi'an. The country is churning out high-quality snooker competitors. They currently make up a quarter of all players on the professional circuit. CLICK LINK www.bbc.com/news/article...

Wu Yize entered the TNT billiards club to a welcome worthy of a rock star. Loud chanting and cheering rang around the room in the western Chinese city of Xi'an. He waved modestly, wearing the expression of a shy 22-year-old not used to such sudden fame at home. CLICK LINK www.bbc.com/news/article...

#China’s 22-year-old snooker world champion Wu Yize appears in his home country, the crowd goes nuts and we were there to see it. www.bbc.com/news/article...

#China’s 22-year-old snooker world champion Wu Yize appears in his home country, the crowd goes nuts and we were there to see it. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom”, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort.

President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials.

Watching a really old episode of ER. Unconscious sick kid comes in. DR 1: looks like measles. DR 2: have you ever seen measles? DR 1: no. Who sees measles? The mother says she gave her son no vaccines. Dramatic music. Shocked look on the DRs faces. Man. Old episode…

Crystal ball gazing: rugby league could take over large parts of the Pacific.

For a second the Security Guard looks like he was going to get in the middle and show them how it's really done.

Check out this group of metal fans getting into some prohibited group head banging at #Beijing’s Strawberry Music Festival until a security guard wanders into the middle of the huddle. Everyone stops, laughs, “Nothing to see here”. #China

Officials at #Beijing’s Strawberry Music Festival kept warning excited punters not to 开火车 (drive the train) aka dance in a Conga line but youthful exuberance can be hard to restrain, even in #China…

A lot of excitement here, after #China took the snooker world championship for the second year in a row! But it's the fairytale nature of Wu Yize's win that's really captured people's imagination. www.bbc.com/sport/snooke...

This is *SO* China. Absolutely love it!!

I’m wondering if The Pixies were fully transparent with #China’s censors in providing the lyrics for last night’s set at the Strawberry Music Festival in the hills outside #Beijing. There were plenty of people laughing around me at the audacious themes coming through.

The rain stopped just as Johnny Marr came on. His inclusion was only flagged recently meaning most of the young Chinese crowd were hearing the likes of “This Charming Man” for the first time live at this event. “Oh this is a nice little guitar riff isn’t it”. #Beijing #China

你要跳舞吗？New Pants playing yesterday at Strawberry Music Festival in the hills outside #Beijing. #China

Awesome, the Chinese kids get to hear the 'good Smith'.

你要跳舞吗？New Pants playing yesterday at Strawberry Music Festival in the hills outside #Beijing. #China