U.S. President Donald Trump completed his visit to the People’s Republic of China(PRC) on May 14 and 15, 2026, a first in nine years. As the most consequential bilateral relation, the entire world watched this visit with great anticipation. However, as things stand, it appears that the visit was a stalemate and little was achieved by way of progress, and the two sides are not even closer to returning to the state of managed rivalry, which in turn was a bare minimum expectation. China frames it as “constructive strategic stability”, but it seems to be unwilling to make any concessions to achieve that and puts the burden of instability squarely on the U.S.

China’s strategic outlook

One of the expressions used by Chinese President Xi Jinping right at the start of his readout, that the “transformation not seen in a century is accelerating across the globe”, merits special attention. While this is not the first time Mr. Xi has used this expression in front of the U.S. President, its last usage led to a binary in which the ball was in the American court to choose whether they wanted confrontation or cooperation. This time, it’s a choice on whether or not the two sides can avoid a Thucydides’ trap that would eventually lead them towards conflicts or confrontations.

This term made its first appearance in December 2017, during China’s ambassadorial work conference, when Mr. Xi said that the world is undergoing “profound changes unseen in a century”. It reflects China’s assessment that the global power transition has entered its most decisive stage and China’s eclipsing of the U.S. is a matter of time. Chinese analysts have assessed that China’s GDP is set to bypass the United States by 2030 and other indicators of powers would follow suit.

The reference to a century is what makes it especially curious. China seems to be thinking that a century ago, driven by the decline of Europe across two world wars, global power made a transatlantic shift, making the U.S. the most powerful country in the world, and made liberalism its most central standpoint. Before that, the 19th century saw a different form of globalisation in the rise of colonialism and imperialism. In a similar fashion, China’s rise is projected as inevitable and its rise as a norm-building power even more certain. It underpins China’s confidence in ascending to what it calls its rightful place in the international system.

This would also lead to an interesting analysis. It seems that China views Brexit and the first election of Donald Trump as U.S. President — driven by a conservative, insecure, to a large extent supremacist and deglobalisation-driven agenda as signs of the certain and inevitable decline of the West, the roots of which were seen in the 2008 financial crisis. After this, China emerged as a new voice of globalisation and began strongly criticising the West for its withdrawal from globalisation, just as the prosperity was beginning to spread away from traditional centres of power.

Reshaping global dynamics

Towards the goal of its rise, China has accelerated its assault on the current international order through various initiatives like the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security initiative (GSI). China is using these to discredit the U.S. led order by portraying it to be divisive and disruptive, while presenting its own approach to global security as driven by “common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable” security. It also identifies its approach to the idea of development as being more “balanced, coordinated, and inclusive” for the developing world. Through its initiatives and critique of the current order, China is seeking to and in some cases is, leading multilateralism and south-south cooperation, while undercutting the norms of the liberal order.

For countries like India, this increased power rivalry makes life more difficult. In the phase where there was a managed competition between the U.S. and China, other countries worked their way to hedge their bets between the two. However, now they are facing trade wars and tariffs, supply chain volatilities, the risks arising from the U.S.-Israel war on Iran and overall strategic instability. Add to it the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the job markets, and the result is a volatile mix. A rising power imagining its destiny to be on the horizon and a dominant power in a combative mood may cause more unintended consequences in the years to come.

(Avinash Godbole is a Professor and Associate Academic Dean, JSLH, JGU. Views expressed are personal.)

The U.S. Secret Service announced on Sunday (February 22, 2026) that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

Although Mr. Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during this incident. First lady Melania Trump was also with the president at the White House on Saturday (February 21, 2026) night.

The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.”

He was shot by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County sheriff deputy, the agency said.

Mr. Trump has faced threats to his life before. He was wounded during an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

Then on September 15, 2024, a man with a rifle was captured after waiting near Mr. Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach while the president played a round. He was sentenced to life in prison earlier this month.

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

With the U.S. tariffs hitting hard, apparel and textile exports saw a 12.91% slump in October compared with last October.

While textile shipments last month were worth $1,597 million, apparel exports were $1,069.42 million, as against $1,833 million (textiles) and $1,227 million (apparel) in October 2024.

Exports of jute and carpets dropped 27.27% and 15.8% respectively, and cotton yarn, fabrics, and made-ups went down 13.31%.

“Many buyers in the U.S. who were placing orders with us regularly are still doing so. But, we are supplying at heavy discounts,” said A. Sakthivel, vice chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC).

The garment exporters got the spring season orders. But the summer orders are slow. Things may improve with a bilateral trade agreement expected soon and the support measures announced by the Indian government, said Mithileshwar Thankur, secretary general of the AEPC.

The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council Executive Director Siddhartha Rajagopal said yarn exports to China did see a slight improvement. But supplies to other markets slumped. Fabric movement is also sluggish. Exporters were earlier front-loading the goods, and hence there was a good movement in August-September. They are offering 15% to 25% discount now to the U.S. buyers. “One season is gone. In markets other than the U.S., the competition is high,” he said.

He urged the Central government to look at the textile industry as one integrated value chain and offer financial support to the entire value chain.

Meanwhile, in a notification issued on Tuesday (November 18, 2025), the Union Ministry of Textiles rescinded the order issued on December 29, 2022, thus removing the Quality Control Order on viscose staple fibres.

Removal of the QCO will strengthen the manmade fibre ecosystem and benefit the industry in the long-run. The tariff issue should be resolved to address the current challenges, said Durai Palanisamy, chairman of the Southern India Mills’ Association.

Viscose staple fibre and several speciality fibres within this order are critical inputs for several value-added garments and made-ups. Revoking the QCO for viscose fibres and polyester yarn and fibres will address the price and availability concerns raised by the users of these raw materials in the MMF segment. This measure will contribute significantly to raising the competitiveness of the Indian textile and apparel sector, said Ashwin Chandran, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.

The Textile Ministry also said on Tuesday (November 18) that 17 new applications for a cumulative investment of ₹2,374 crore were approved under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme, round three. The proposed projects are expected to achieve projected sales of over ₹12,893 crore and generate employment for about 22,646 persons in the coming years.

The PLI Scheme for Textiles was notified on September 24, 2021, with an approved outlay of ₹10,683 crore to promote the production of MMF apparel and fabrics, and products of technical textiles.

China announced sanctions on Tuesday (October 14, 2025) against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, sending the company’s shares sharply lower.

The move, announced by the Chinese Commerce Ministry, comes on the day that China and the U.S. implement additional port fees targeting each others’ vessels, although China has exempted ships it built.

Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions, cooperation or related activities with these Hanwha entities, the Ministry said in a statement.

“Hanwha Ocean’s U.S.-related subsidiaries have assisted and supported the U.S. government’s relevant investigative activities, thereby jeopardising China’s sovereignty, security, and developmental interests,” the statement said, without elaborating.

Hanwha did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

In August, Hanwha announced a $5 billion additional investment on the Philly Shipyard, which it acquired in 2024 for $100 million, after South Korea pledged to inject as much as $150 billion to help the U.S. revive its domestic industry.

President Donald Trump’s administration has said the U.S. needs help from allies Japan and South Korea to revitalise the troubled shipbuilding sector, which is lagging behind China, especially for manufacturing warships.

Hanwha’s domestic rival HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilder, is also in talks with multiple companies to acquire U.S. shipyards, Reuters reported in September.

Hanwha runs a shipyard in Shandong, China, that builds modules of ship components, according to a company filing. Hanwha supplies the modules to its shipyard in South Korea for the final assembly, according to the firm.

Shares of Hanwha Ocean tumbled 5.3% at 0417 GMT after China announced the countermeasures. HD Hyundai Heavy slipped 4.4%.

Mr. Trump’s administration announced earlier this year plans to levy fees on China-linked ships to loosen Beijing’s grip on the global maritime industry and bolster U.S. shipbuilding.

China hit back last week saying it would impose its own port fees on U.S.-linked vessels on the same day then U.S. fees come into effect.

China has called U.S. measures targeting its maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding industries a serious violation of international law and fundamental norms of international relations.

Kash Patel will confront sceptical Senate Democrats at a congressional hearing Tuesday (September 16, 2025) likely to be dominated by questions about the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s killing as well as the recent firings of senior officials who have accused the FBI director of illegal political retribution.

The appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee represents the first oversight hearing of Mr. Patel’s young but tumultuous tenure and provides a high-stakes platform for him to try to reassure wary lawmakers that he is the right person for the job at a time of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence inside the U.S.

Mr. Patel will be returning to the committee for the first time since his confirmation hearing in January, when he sought to reassure Democrats that he would not pursue retribution as director.

He’ll face questions Tuesday (September 16) about whether he did exactly that when the FBI last month fired five agents and senior officials in a purge that current and former officials say weakened morale and contributed to unease inside the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency.

Three of those officials sued last week in a federal complaint that says Mr. Patel knew the firings were likely illegal but carried them out anyway to protect his job.

One of the officials helped oversee investigations into the January 6 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and another clashed with Justice Department leadership while serving as acting director in the early days of the Trump administration.

The FBI has declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Republican lawmakers who make up the majority in the committee are expected to show solidarity for Mr. Patel, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, and are likely to praise the director for his focus on violent crime and illegal immigration.

They are also likely to try to elicit from Mr. Patel fresh details about the investigation into Kirk’s assassination at a Utah college campus last week, which authorities have said was carried out by a 22-year-old man who had grown more political in recent years and ascribed to a “leftist ideology.”

Mr. Patel drew scrutiny when, hours after the killing, he posted on social media that “the subject” was in custody even though the actual suspected shooter remained on the loose and was not arrested until he turned himself in late the following night.

Mr. Patel has not explained that post but has pointed to his decision to authorise the release of photographs of the suspect, Tyler Robinson, while he was on the run as a key development that helped facilitate an arrest. A Fox News Channel journalist reported Saturday (September 13) that President Trump had told her that Mr. Patel and the FBI have “done a great job.”

Mr. Robinson is due to make his first court appearance in Utah.

Another line of questioning may involve Democratic concerns that Mr. Patel is politicising the FBI through politically charged investigations, including into longstanding grievances of Mr. Trump.

Agents and prosecutors, for instance, have been seeking interviews and information as they reexamine aspects of the years-old FBI investigation into potential coordination between Russia and Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr. Patel has repeatedly said his predecessors at the FBI and Justice Department who investigated and prosecuted Mr. Trump were the ones who weaponised the institutions.

Federal authorities have charged five Indian Americans in connection with an alleged human trafficking and immigration fraud network operating across multiple hotels in Nebraska. The arrests followed early morning raids at properties in the Omaha metro area and central Nebraska.

The accused — Kentakumar “Ken” Chaudhari (36), Rashmi Ajit “Falguni” Samani (42), Amit Prahladbhai “Amit” Chaudhari (32), Amit Babubhai “Matt” Chaudhari (33), and Maheshkumar “Mahesh” Chaudhari (38) — allegedly owned and managed hotels where minors and adults were exploited for sex and forced labour.

U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods called the crimes “evil,” vowing that Nebraska law enforcement “will seek it, find it, root it out, and ensure every rescued victim has an opportunity to obtain justice and freedom from their captors.”

According to court documents, 10 minors — some under 12 — and 17 adults were rescued. Victims allegedly endured unsafe conditions, long hours, little to no pay, and in some cases, were forced into sexual activity. The FBI said drugs and prostitution were encouraged at the hotels to generate profits.

Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI’s Omaha Field Office described the operation as “modern-day slavery,” urging victims or informants to contact authorities. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito said the crimes “prey on the vulnerable” and show “no regard for the laws or values of our nation.”

Charges also include visa fraud involving staged robberies, illegal border crossings, and transporting undocumented immigrants for profit. Authorities seized over $565,000 in cash and placed liens on hotel properties to prevent their sale.

The FBI, DHS, Omaha Police, Nebraska State Patrol, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshals, and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office collaborated in the investigation. Officials stress that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

This article is published in an arrangement with 5WH.