One day into US President Donald Trump’s visit to China for trade talks, both he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have exchanged toasts at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and hailed their relationship as the world’s most “consequential”.

On Thursday, following a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a 600-year-old landmark in the Chinese capital, Xi spoke of a “shared US-China future”, while also warning that failure to handle this bond would create a “very dangerous situation”.

“We must make it work and never mess it up,” he said.

Here’s a look at what each president have said about five key issues so far:

Their personal ties

The US president described his Chinese counterpart as “my friend” in his opening remarks at the state banquet that Xi hosted for the American leader.

“We are going to have a fantastic future together. I have such respect for China, for the job you’ve done. You are a great leader,” he told Xi.

Trump also invited Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan to pay a return visit to the White House on September 24.

For his part, the Chinese president said he was “very happy” to meet Trump in Beijing at a time of historic turbulence and when the “world stands at a new crossroads”.

He then posed a series of questions to the US president.

“Can we join hands to address global challenges and inject greater stability into the world?” he asked.

“Can we uphold the wellbeing of our respective peoples and the shared future of humanity, working together to create a bright future for our bilateral relationship?”

“These are, in essence, questions posed by history, by the world, and by the people, and they constitute the answer to our times that you and I, as leaders of major nations, must jointly write,” he added.

Reporting from Beijing, Al Jazeera’s Katrina Yu said that while the Chinese leader did not expand on his friendship with Trump, his reception underscored how highly Xi regards this visit.

“China is deeply invested in symbolism and visual optics, and it uses these details to convey the importance of a guest,” Yu said.

Trump was welcomed at the Great Hall of the People, the seat of power in China, “the equivalent of the White House and all other important centres of power combined”.

She added, “China is very aware that it wants to give Trump a spectacle. What we are seeing now is China rolling out the red carpet accordingly.”

Additionally, Vice President Han Zheng greeted Trump at the airport when he landed in Beijing on Wednesday, making him the highest-ranking Chinese official to ever welcome a US president.

Trump and Xi may meet again on at least two other occasions this year – the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting, in Shenzhen, China, in November; and the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami, Florida in the US in December.

It would be unprecedented for the US president to travel to China twice in one year.

Their countries’ ties

Xi and Trump agreed to frame their relationship as “constructive, strategic and stable” in a new positioning that is intended to guide US-China ties for the next three years and beyond, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement about talks between the two.

Trump said the relationship between the two countries went back to the founding of the US, noting that the early American traders who visited China were described, by the Chinese, as “the new people”.

Today, he said, the two countries’ bilateral ties were among “the most consequential” in the world.

The Chinese president said the two countries should become partners, rather than rivals, adding that “mutual respect is key to stable China-US ties”.

“I have always believed that the common interests between China and the US outweigh the differences,” Xi said.

“Let 2026 be a historic and landmark year for Sino-US relations to carry on the past and open up the future.”

Trade discussions

Trump and Xi discussed trade, with Xi saying that China’s door of opportunity will open wider.

What this means is not explicitly clear yet, but Trump will be hoping it includes a Chinese pledge to buy US soya beans, beef and aircraft. Officials in the Trump administration also hope to move towards setting up a Board of Trade with China to manage commercial disputes between the two countries.

Xi also met with US business leaders who have accompanied Trump on this trip on Thursday.

The US and China entered a tariff threat standoff last year, with each side imposing retaliatory tariffs on each other’s exports.

China also restricted exports of some rare-earth metals, which are crucial for technology manufacturing, in April. Later in the year, it announced plans to restrict several others. Those later plans are on pause since a truce was agreed between the two presidents in October last year on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea.

In return for China’s agreement to pause restrictions on rare-earth metal exports, Trump dropped a threat of 100 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.

Taiwan

The Taiwanese government maintains that the self-governing island of 23 million people is a sovereign state.

During the meeting on Thursday, Xi reportedly warned Trump that the issue of Taiwan – which China regards as its own territory – could lead to conflict between Washington and Beijing if it is not handled carefully.

However, Taiwan was not mentioned in a joint statement following the meeting, and Trump notably ignored a question from reporters about his stance on Taiwan.

This is a tricky issue for the US.

While the US government officially acknowledges that China views Taiwan as part of its territory, it does not explicitly state whether or not it agrees with that stance.

The US formally severed official diplomatic ties with Taiwan – also known as the Republic of China – decades ago, but remains committed under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to supporting the defence of the self-governing democracy.

That law has enabled Washington to supply Taiwan with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and to deepen cooperation in areas such as military training and intelligence sharing, moves Beijing regards as meddling in its internal affairs.

Xi has told Trump that the “Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning posted on X on Thursday.

“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” she wrote.

Taiwan independence and peace in the Taiwan Strait are as “irreconcilable as fire and water”, Xi said.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that China is “currently the sole risk to regional peace and stability”, after Xi warned Trump.

“Beijing has no right to make any claims on behalf of Taiwan internationally,” the statement added.

The war on Iran

The US-Israel war on Iran, which entered its 76th day on Thursday, also came up in the meeting between Trump and Xi on Thursday.

In their joint statement, Trump and Xi agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and Iran should never have nuclear weapons.

US officials have previously said that they might need China’s help in convincing Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. But analysts say Beijing will want concessions from the US, likely regarding Taiwan, in exchange for any aid in resolving the crisis.

PIF deal covers the 2026 World Cup being cohosted by US, Canada and Mexico, while Saudi Arabia is hosting 2034 edition.

Saudi ⁠Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been named an official tournament supporter in North America and Asia for this year’s World Cup, as the country ⁠deepens its ties with international football ahead of hosting the 2034 tournament.

The 2026 World Cup – the first edition of the global showpiece to feature 48 teams – will be cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to ‌July 19.

The partnership includes support for initiatives worldwide, spanning grassroots programmes, youth and women’s football, education projects, and efforts to enhance infrastructure and technical expertise, PIF and FIFA said.

No financial details or specific activations were disclosed.

The deal builds on PIF’s partnership with FIFA for the Club World Cup 2025 and highlights the fund’s deepening commercial ties with global football ahead of ⁠Saudi Arabia hosting the 2034 World Cup.

“PIF continues to ⁠accelerate the growth of football globally by expanding access to the game and creating opportunities that benefit players, fans and the wider football ecosystem,” said Mohamed AlSayyad, head of corporate brand ⁠at PIF, in a statement.

PIF, which has spent more than $5bn on LIV Golf since it launched in 2022, ⁠said last month that it would cut funding ⁠at the close of the 2026 season, leaving the breakaway circuit scrambling for new backers.

The sovereign wealth fund, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is involved in several other sports.

In its statement announcing it was cutting funding to LIV Golf, PIF added that ‌it ‌remained committed to deploying capital internationally in line with its investment strategy, “including current and future investments in various sports as a priority sector”.

Saudi Arabia, which parted company with head coach Herve Renard last month, start their World Cup 2026 campaign against Uruguay on June 15.

They complete their Group H matches against Spain and debutants Cape Verde.

United States President Donald Trump has discussed the Strait of Hormuz and the US-Israel war on Iran during his meeting with China’s Xi Jinping as negotiations to end the conflict and open the waterway are stalled.

According to the White House, Trump and Xi had a “good” meeting on Thursday and agreed that the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open to support the free flow of energy”.

“President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarisation of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use,” the White House said.

In a separate interview, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believed Beijing would “do what they can” to open the waterway, which he said was “very much in their interest”.

Since the US-Israeli war on Iran began at the end of February, Tehran has all but closed the strait, causing disruptions to global energy supplies and raising fuel prices as oil tankers remain unable to pass.

But under special agreements, Iran has let some carriers sail through the waterway.

On Wednesday, a Chinese tanker transited through the strait, according to shipping data seen by the Reuters news agency. Iran’s Fars News Agency also reported on Thursday that there was an agreement to allow some Chinese ships to pass.

Moreover, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that about 30 vessels had transited through the strait since Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, the US said on Thursday that it had so far redirected 70 vessels and disabled four others to enforce Trump’s blockade on ships travelling to or from Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz.

“As of today, CENTCOM forces have redirected 70 commercial vessels and disabled 4 to ensure compliance,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X.

Attacks on vessels

A ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another was attacked and sank, authorities said on Thursday, in renewed escalation on shipping near the strait.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported that “unauthorised personnel” had taken over a vessel that had been anchored off the UAE port of Fujairah on Thursday and was heading towards Iran, without giving details about who the ship belongs to.

Meanwhile, an Indian-flagged wooden cargo vessel sunk on Wednesday while sailing through Omani waters following a fire ⁠from a suspected drone or missile strike. The vessel was sailing to the UAE from Somalia, India’s shipping ministry said in a statement. All 14 crew were rescued by the Omani coast guard.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility, but the incidents came as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim to the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the US.

Iran’s judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said on Thursday that the capture of “US tankers” violating his country’s regulations was being carried out under domestic and international law.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Almigdad Alruhaid explained that Iranian officials have reiterated their stance that the waterway will be open for commercial vessels if they cooperate with Tehran’s naval authorities.

“Iranian officials are establishing a new mechanism for such cooperation. Ships are expected to submit detailed information in advance through what Iran calls the ‘Persian Gulf Strait Authority’,” he said.

“That includes cargo details, ownership information, destination and route plans, and transit timing. After that, vessels have to wait to see if authorities approve a transit permit,” Alruhaid said, adding that if a vessel is recognised as “hostile” towards Iran, it would not be allowed to pass.

But as the waterway remains relatively closed, the US and Iran are no closer to agreeing to a peace deal. Washington wants Tehran to hand over its enriched uranium, and Tehran wants a lifting of sanctions and its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz recognised.

Spanish international Lamine Yamal criticised for waving Palestinian flag during bus parade celebrating La Liga title.

Israel’s defence minister has criticised Barcelona’s teenage star Lamine Yamal for waving a Palestinian flag during celebrations of the Spanish league title win, saying the act “incites hate”.

The 18-year-old Yamal waved a large Palestinian flag from an open-top bus during a victory parade by the team through Barcelona on Monday.

The parade drew about 750,000 people to celebrate the league title clinched the previous day, local authorities said.

“Lamine Yamal chose to incite hate against Israel while our soldiers combat the terrorist organization Hamas, an organization that massacred, raped and burned Jewish children, women and the elderly on October 7 [2023],” Israel Katz wrote on X on Thursday.

Yamal, who is Muslim, posted pictures of himself holding the flag on his Instagram account.

Spain’s government and a large part of its population have been highly critical of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in response to the 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel.

There has been a global backlash against Israel over the humanitarian toll of the war in Gaza, which has spread to sport and culture. Protests have been seen in football, cycling and basketball.

Last year’s Spanish Vuelta was repeatedly disrupted by protesters angry with the participation of an Israeli-backed cycling team.

Spain is also one of five countries boycotting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to protest Israel’s inclusion.

Yamal is set to star for Spain at the World Cup in June and July in North America.