Trump: Chinese president Xi ‘graciously invited … me to visit China'
Donald Trump said that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has invited him and the first lady to visit China, which he reciprocated.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the phone call with the Chinese president was “very good” and that they discussed “some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal.”
He added:
The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined … During the conversation, President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated.
As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing. The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE.
He added that the two of them did not speak about Russia and Ukraine, or Iran.
Key events
Trump on Chinese international students: ‘It's our honor to have them' despite visa revocation announcement
In response to a question about whether he is allowing Chinese students into the US, Donald Trump said:
Chinese students are coming. No problem, no problem. It’s our honor to have them. Frankly, we want to have foreign students, but we want them to be checked.
Trump’s response follows just days after the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, announced that the US will “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students studying at US universities.
Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump said that his travel ban “can’t come soon enough”.
In response to a reporter’s question on why Egypt was not on the list despite the Boulder, Colorado, attack suspect being Egyptian, Trump said:
Because Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control.
He said his travel ban applies to “the countries that don’t have things under control”.
Donald Trump has welcomed the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to the White House ahead of their bilateral meetings.
Chad’s president, Deby Itno, has instructed the Chadian government to suspend granting visas to US citizens, saying:
Chad has neither planes to offer nor billions of dollars to give but Chad has its dignity and pride.
Chad’s decision on Thursday comes in response to Donald Trump’s latest total travel ban against 12 countries including Chad, Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Adam Gabbatt
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) made a record high number of arrests on Tuesday, detaining more than 2,200 people as Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy continues.
NBC News reported that the figure represents the most people ever arrested by Ice in a single day.
Hundreds of the people arrested were enrolled in Ice’s alternative to detention program, under which migrants who are awaiting legal status are given background checks to determine they are not a safety risk, then tracked by the government using ankle monitors or smartphone apps.
The record total comes after senior officials over the weekend instructed rank-and-file Ice officers to arrest more people, even without warrants. In May, the White House demanded that Ice arrest 3,000 people a day.
Some of the arrests “appear to be the result of a new Ice tactic”, NBC News reported, in which Ice officials arrest migrants who are enrolled in the alternative to detention program when they arrive at pre-scheduled check-in meetings at Ice offices.
For the full story, click here:
Trump: Chinese president Xi ‘graciously invited … me to visit China'
Donald Trump said that the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has invited him and the first lady to visit China, which he reciprocated.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the phone call with the Chinese president was “very good” and that they discussed “some of the intricacies of our recently made, and agreed to, Trade Deal.”
He added:
The call lasted approximately one and a half hours, and resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries. There should no longer be any questions respecting the complexity of Rare Earth products. Our respective teams will be meeting shortly at a location to be determined … During the conversation, President Xi graciously invited the First Lady and me to visit China, and I reciprocated.
As Presidents of two Great Nations, this is something that we both look forward to doing. The conversation was focused almost entirely on TRADE.
He added that the two of them did not speak about Russia and Ukraine, or Iran.
Chinese president Xi on Trump call: ‘Consensus has been reached'
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, is addressing his call with Donald Trump, according to the latest lines coming through the news wires.
Saying that a “consensus has been reached”, Xi added that the two sides “should enhance consensus” as well as “reduce misunderstanding, strengthen cooperation” and “enhance exchanges”.
Xi went on to say that it is important to “dispel disruptions to China-US relations” and stressed that “China has sincerity and has principle”.
He added that “both sides should make good use of established economic trade consultation mechanisms” and that “dialogue, cooperation is the only right choice for China and the US”.
The African Union has released the following response to Donald Trump’s travel ban, urging his administration to adopt a “more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue” with the countries targeted:
The African Union Commission has taken note of the recent proclamation by the Government of the United States imposing new travel restrictions affecting nationals from several countries, including some on the African continent.
While recognising the sovereign right of all nations to protect their borders and ensure the security of their citizens, the African Union Commission respectfully appeals to the United States to exercise this right in a manner that is balanced, evidence-based, and reflective of the long-standing partnership between the United States and Africa.
The Commission remains concerned about the potential negative impact of such measures on people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and the broader diplomatic relations that have been carefully nurtured over decades. Africa and the United States share mutual interests in promoting peace, prosperity, and global cooperation.
The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the US Administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned. The Commission appeals for transparent communication, and where necessary, collaborative efforts to address any underlying issues that may have informed this decision.
The Commission stands ready to support efforts that promote understanding, resolve concerns, and strengthen cooperation between Africa and the United States.
Ahead of the Trump–Xi call today, CNN reported that Chinese officials – who were deeply wary of Trump’s unpredictability and track record of putting foreign leaders in awkward or embarrassing situations – had put off a phone call, according to people familiar, even as Trump stated on multiple occasions this spring that he expected to speak with Xi soon.
Afghan women waiting for visas feel betrayed and abandoned by US travel ban – Reuters
Afghan women’s rights defender Fatima, 57, who is waiting in limbo in Pakistan for her US visa to be processed, had her dreams shattered overnight after Donald Trump included Afghans among those banned from entering the US.
She worked for decades for US-funded projects in central Afghanistan and now risks being pushed back to her home country, where she fears for her safety and her teenage daughter is unable to attend school. Giving only her first name for security reasons, she told Reuters:
Unfortunately, the decisions made by President Trump turned all the hopes and beliefs of us into ashes. We are not al-Qaeda, we are the ones who fought back, we are the ones who gave our youth, our strength, our physical energy, our voices, everything we had, for the dream of a peaceful nation, for a country where we could simply breathe, we stood beside Nato forces. And today, to be abandoned by America is not only tragic, it is devastating, It is a source of deep despair.
In the chaotic withdrawal of US-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, western countries vowed to help, especially those Afghans who had worked for them or on projects they backed. But many have been disappointed.
Then president Joe Biden pledged to help “Afghan allies” and introduced the P-2 programme for admission as refugees for Afghans who met certain criteria, including having worked for US organisations and media.
The main refugee advocate agency this year estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 Afghans were waiting in Pakistan for their visas to be processed, though that included applicants to the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program for those who directly assisted the US military and government, which was exempted from this week’s order.
Fatima said she had hoped never to leave her country but as the prominent head of a women’s rights group she felt she had no choice after the Taliban returned to power. The US government instructed her to travel to a third country for processing and, like many, her only option was neighbouring Pakistan, where she arrived in 2023. She finally received notice that she should send her family’s passports to prepare for a flight in January. But a decision that month by Trump to halt refugee processing threw that into disarray and Fatima has not heard from US authorities since.
In the meantime, Pakistan began once again ramping up a repatriation drive that began in 2023, leaving many in the pipeline for US processing fearful of even leaving the house in case they are stopped by police.
Mahbouba Seraj, a prominent Kabul-based women’s rights advocate, said the new US decision was a huge blow to women’s rights defenders and other vulnerable groups.
This is absolutely terrible because a whole lot of those … people were waiting, they have all of their paperwork done, they are completely vetted, they are all ready to come to the US, they have sold their houses, they have no life in Afghanistan and they are all waiting. Now this is what happens.
China's Xi and Trump hold call at White House's request, Chinese state media reports
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and Donald Trump have held their much-anticipated phone call this morning, the official Xinhua state news agency reports, as relations continue to be strained by trade disputes.
Chinese state media said the call took place at the White House’s request. No other information was immediately made public. The Chinese foreign ministry said this morning that the call was ongoing as of 9am ET.
The call comes amid accusations between Washington and Beijing in recent weeks over critical minerals in a dispute that threatens to tear up a fragile truce in the trade war between the two biggest economies reached in Geneva last month.
It is the first known call between the leaders to take place during Trump’s second term. Previously, they spoke in January ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
Johnson to try to speak to Musk again over billionaire's escalating GOP megabill row – Bloomberg
Bloomberg is reporting that the House speaker, Mike Johnson, has once again reached out to Elon Musk by text and plans to speak with him today to talk through his opposition to the GOP tax- and spending-cut megabill, over which the billionaire appears “dug in”.
“JOHNSON on @BloombergTV says he has texted with @elonmusk and plans convo today. Musk appears ‘Dug in’ in opposition to bill, [Johnson] said. Johnson says bill will be ‘jet fuel’ for economy and deficit concerns are misplaced,” according to Bloomberg.
Musk’s relentless attacks on the bill, which is now under consideration in the Senate and is supposed to be the second Trump administration’s flagship legislation, escalated significantly yesterday, with Politico noting that he dropped no less than 32 hostile posts on his X platform in the hours before Trump took to the stage at a White House lawn event. In one post he said the bill would put America “in the fast lane to debt slavery”.
Yesterday, Johnson admitted publicly that Trump was “not delighted” by Musk’s “180” on his “big, beautiful bill”, though the president has not weighed in publicly himself. And yesterday, Politico reported that Republicans close to the White House were keen to reframe Musk’s criticisms of the bill as rooted in his own self-interest due to the bill’s impact on his business interests, notably Tesla.
The tech billionaire lambasted the bill as a “disgusting abomination” on Tuesday, a day after Johnson had spent half an hour trying to convince Musk that the bill would, in the long term, make the government more effective. Johnson said that conversation ended “on a great note” and so he was “surprised” when Musk “24 hours later, he does a 180 and he comes out as opposed to the bill”. Johnson said he had tried to call Musk on Tuesday but he didn’t answer.
In his tirade against the bill on Tuesday, Musk called it “outrageous” and “pork-filled” due to its effects on increasing the federal deficit. It marked a significant escalation in language, as in previous comments to CBS News he had said he was “disappointed” by the bill and said it would “undermine” the federal cost-cutting work of his team at Doge.
Under the travel ban Trump announced last night, the nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will be “fully” restricted from entering the US, according to the proclamation. Meanwhile, the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partly restricted.
Human Rights First highlights the case of Trump’s targeting of Afghanistan, which “marks another broken promise to Afghans who supported and advanced the US mission in Afghanistan for decades”.
These individuals are now in grave danger of retaliation by the Taliban since the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. While Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders are exempt from the travel ban restrictions, other at-risk Afghans will be impacted by this hateful ban. Many are at grave risk due to the deteriorating conditions in-country and many have been waiting for years to reunite with loved ones in the United States. The US government has a duty to protect these individuals and the travel ban makes it even harder for them to escape persecution, jeopardizing their lives and the promises made to them by the United States.
Shala Gafary, the managing attorney at Project: Afghan Legal Assistance at Human Rights First, said:
The Trump administration’s travel ban will block vulnerable Afghans from reaching safety and prolong the separation of desperate families with loved ones in the United States, including in some cases children who were separated from parents during the 2021 withdrawal.
Our country has a duty and moral imperative to honor commitments made to those who risked everything in support of advancing American values.
Human rights groups condemn Trump's ‘racist' and ‘cruel' travel ban
In a statement condemning the Trump administration’s travel ban, Human Rights First said the ban “disproportionately targets Muslim-majority nations and undermines the United States’ foundational principles of equality under the law”.
It said that “this new iteration of [Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ from his first term] is “a continuation of that assault on the rights of vulnerable populations, especially Muslims and other minorities, and represents a dangerous abuse of executive power”.
Robyn Barnard, senior director of refugee advocacy at Human Rights First, said the policy was “divisive and racist” and would only serve to “undermine national security and “target those most in need of protection”. She said:
This return to divisive and racist policies to target entire populations marks yet another anti-immigrant and punitive action taken by President Trump.
The ban will harm refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations, including many who have been waiting to reunite with loved ones in our country. Bans do nothing to make our country secure, but rather undermine our national security and arbitrarily target those most in need of protection.
Amnesty International USA said on X:
President Trump’s new travel ban is discriminatory, racist, and downright cruel. By targeting people based on their nationality, this ban only spreads disinformation and hate.
Democrats decry Trump travel ban as a ‘distraction' and say it won't make America safer
Democrats have decried Donald Trump’s travel ban as a “distraction” and say it will not make the United States safer.
Senator Chris Murphy, from Connecticut, said on X yesterday that “it was no coincidence” that Trump announced the ban last night:
Not a coincidence Trump announced his travel ban tonight. He’s trying to distract us from the core story. And the core story is their bill to throw 15 million people off their health care in order to give a $270,000 tax cut to the richest Americans.
Senator Adam Schiff, from California, said “bigotry is not a national security strategy” and the ban would “only further isolate the US” from the rest of the world. He posted on X:
This is Trump’s reckless first term travel ban all over again. Just like before, Trump’s expanded ban on travelers from around the world will not improve our national security and will only further isolate the US from the rest of world [sic]. Bigotry is not a national security strategy.
Senator Ed Markey, from Massachusetts, wrote on X:
Make no mistake: Trump’s latest travel ban will NOT make America safer. We cannot continue to allow the Trump administration to write bigotry and hatred into US immigration policy.
India and the US are holding high-level talks this week, aiming to finalise tariff cuts in sectors such as farm and automobiles as part of an interim deal, two government sources said, with an announcement likely later this month.
A US delegation led by senior officials from the office of the United States trade representative began closed-door, two-day discussions in New Delhi on Thursday with Indian trade officials headed by chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal, the sources said.
“During the current round of talks, negotiators are discussing tariff cuts on specific sectors including agriculture and autos, and proposed benefits for Indian companies,” one Indian government source, said.
