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Great Hall of the People, China

China

November 7, 2026

Beijing 4:42 am

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US President Donald Trump shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping after a visit with First Lady Melania Trump and China's First Lady Peng Liyuan to the National Archives in Washington, DC on September 25, 2026. The rotunda at the National Archives permanently houses the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the US Constitution. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why China stands to gain from Trump's midterm drubbing

Beijing can now portray its diplomatic backing, purchases of Iranian oil and provision of dual-use technology as having helped Iran withstand a war that has exacted a political price from the US president.

Joyce Karam

Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said (L) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a historic visit to Beijing, China, Nov. 2, 2026.

Oman’s sultan concludes historic China visit amid US tensions: What to know

The visit, the first by an Omani head of state since 1978, comes as Oman is reportedly considering purchasing Chinese- and Pakistani-made JF-17 fighter jets as part of efforts to diversify its international partnerships amid growing regional tensions.

Latest News

Analysis

What Oman's potential JF-17 fighter jet deal means for China and Pakistan

A motorcyclist rides past a Pakistani JF-17 fighter jet model displayed along a road in Karachi on August 13, 2025, on the eve of the country's independence day celebrations. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP) (Photo by ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

What Israel’s election means for its China ties

China's President Xi Jinping (R) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands ahead of their talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 21, 2017.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia seeks to pressure China over Houthi arms without risking ties

Xi MBS

Joyce Karam

Israeli president meets FM Wang Yi as reports link China to Iran’s military buildup

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 15, 2026.

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Andrea Ghiselli

In Shanghai, reporting on China in the Middle East

Iranian motorcyclist pass by a banner of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran, on September 26, 2024 on the sideline of an exhibition which marks the 44th anniversary of the start of Iran-Iraq war.

Analysis

As US nuclear talks stall, Iran ups military planning, turns to China for missile fuel

Amid uncertainties in the recent US-Iran nuclear diplomacy, Tehran is gearing up for a showdown with Israel, reportedly rebuilding its missile capabilities and threatening Israel with a devastating response.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

China expands visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait

During a landmark summit in Malaysia, China announced an exemption for nationals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait from the need for entry visas.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) greets Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud as he arrives for the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit after the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 27, 2025.

Gulf states court China, ASEAN at landmark Malaysia summit: What to know

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s summit with the Southeast Asia bloc was expanded to include China, bringing the emir of Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat to Malaysia.

AFP via Getty Images

Who is Iran’s new ambassador to China?

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli served in various capacities during both administrations of President Hassan Rouhani in a career marred with the brutal crackdown against the 2019 protests.

Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

China expands foothold in Egypt’s Suez with $17M garment deals

China has signed more than a billion dollars' worth of deals in the Suez Canal Economic Zone this year as the waterway reels from the Red Sea crisis.

Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon fighter aircraft of China's Ba Yi Aerobatics Team release smoke while performing during the first Egypt International Airshow at Alamein International Airport in northern Egypt on Sept. 4, 2024.

Analysis

Symbolism or strategy? Inside Egypt, China’s first joint air exercise

China’s first air drills in Egypt project power near critical trade routes, while Cairo maneuvers between Western military ties and Beijing’s growing defense diplomacy.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Omer Siddig

Meet Omer Siddig, Sudan's new foreign minister, former ambassador to China

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has appointed veteran diplomat Omer Siddig as Sudan's new minister of foreign affairs, filling the role following the dismissal of his predecessor, Ali Youssif, in mid-April.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

China JV wins $1.13 billion contract to relocate Saudi university facilities

The KSU deal marks the latest in a series of large contracts awarded by the Diriyah Company, which is overseeing the city project.

ALIREZA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

US sanctions China-Iran network aiding Tehran missile program

The Trump administration is stepping up sanctions on Iran as it conducts talks over its rapidly expanding nuclear program.