Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun said both Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘seem intent on putting themselves into office for life, or at least until they otherwise choose on their own initiative to leave.’
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a persistent critic of China, accused Beijing of 'more empty promises and tired platitudes.'
China's President XI said that his country shared information on COVID-19 as soon as it could in what appeared to be an apparent response to US President Donald Trump’s accusations that China withheld information.
The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, in December and was spreading silently as the United States and China signed a Phase 1 trade deal hailed by the Republican president as a major achievement.
A statement about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit published on Aung San Suu Kyi’s official Facebook page was littered with references to 'Mr Sh*thole' when translated to English.
Facing possible removal from office precisely for seeking foreign help against his political challengers, Trump said he wanted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to go after Biden, the leader in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination next year.
China's National Day was marked by widespread chaos in Hong Kong as political unrest continued.
The military and civilian parade, held in the capital on 1 October, is expected to be the biggest in its history.
Views differ on the essence of China-US competition. Most watchers see it as a classic power competition caused by a shrinking gap in strength between the two countries.
The sudden deterioration meant the world's two largest economies have now erected trade barriers covering virtually all of their $660 billion in annual trade in merchandise - confirming economists' fears and sending shudders through Wall Street.
Expectations for progress during the two-day Shanghai meeting are low, so officials and businesses are hoping Washington and Beijing can at least detail commitments for 'goodwill' gestures and clear the path for future negotiations.
Wang also warned against “protectionism in the name of national security”, without mentioning the United States, and called major powers to make more contributions to global peace and stability.
Lawyers and rights groups say China’s justice system is marked by torture, forced confessions and arbitrary detention. China has been angered by Western criticism of the bill.
The meeting kicked off in a positive tone, with Trump saying: "It would be historic if we could do a fair trade deal... We are totally open to it."
The leaders of the G20 countries meet on Friday and Saturday in Osaka, Japan, but the most anticipated meeting is between Trump and Xi on Saturday.
Xi added that in such circumstances, the BRICS countries should 'increase our resilience and capability to cope with external risks.'
Trump, who campaigned under the slogan "America First", announces tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminium from a number of countries in a bid to slash the huge US trade deficit.
Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will tangle people up in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's reputation as a safe business hub.
