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TruMP laNdS IN BeIjINg SeekINg Trade gaINS, ChINa MarkeT aCCeSS Thursday, 14 May, 2026 | 27 Dhul-Qadah, 1447
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TRUMP TO URGE XI FOR GREATER ACCESS TO CHINESE MARKETS DURING BEIJING SUMMIT
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ELON MUSK, NVIDIA CHIEF JOIN US DELEGATION AMID AI AND TECH TRADE TENSIONS
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WASHINGTON AND BEIJING SEEK TO PRESERVE FRAGILE TARIFF AND RARE EARTH TRUCE
uS aNd ChINeSe oFFICIalS hold TalkS IN SouTh korea BeFore TruMP-XI SuMMIT
IRAN CONFLICT, TAIWAN ARMS SALES AND SEMICONDUCTOR CURBS TO DOMINATE HIGH-STAKES TALKS
INCHEON
staff report
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BEIJING
Mian abrar
S President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a high-stakes two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to secure economic deals, preserve a fragile trade truce and push for greater access for American businesses in China. Trump was accompanied by a highprofile delegation of business leaders, including Elon Musk and Jensen Huang,
reflecting Washington’s focus on resolving commercial disputes and expanding cooperation in advanced technology sectors. Before departing, Trump said he would urge Xi to “open up” China further to American firms, describing the Chinese leader as “a leader of extraordinary distinction”. According to sources familiar with the matter, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang joined the trip at Trump’s request as the company seeks approval to expand sales of its advanced H200 artificial intelligence chips in China.
Pakistan, IMF begin budget talks with focus on fiscal targets, shift from interest-based banking, energy sector plans PROFIT
Monitoring Desk
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is set to begin budget discussions with Pakistani authorities today [Wednesday], with talks expected to extend beyond fiscal targets to cover structural reforms, energy sector plans and financial sector changes linked to the end of interest-based banking by 2028. According to government sources, the mission will finalise revenue and expenditure targets for the next fiscal year and review progress on legal amendments aimed at reducing the state’s footprint in the public sector and opening the sugar sector to greater competition. The Express Tribune reported that the IMF is also expected to review Pakistan’s strategy for the financial sector after constitutional requirements to eliminate interest-based lending become effective in 2028.
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVII No 49 | 8 Pages | Islamabad Edition
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng began talks in South Korea on Wednesday ahead of a summit in Beijing between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. According to Reuters witnesses cited in the report, Bessent and He started their discussions at Incheon airport after each separately met South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the presidential Blue House. The talks are expected to address a range of issues in preparation for the Beijing summit, which is scheduled to
China responded cautiously but positively to Trump’s remarks, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun saying Beijing was ready to “expand cooperation, manage differences and inject more stability and certainty into the turbulent world”. The summit marks the first visit by a US president to China in nearly a decade and comes at a sensitive moment in global politics, with the ongoing Iran conflict, tensions over Taiwan and unresolved trade disputes dominat-
take place from Thursday to Friday between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies. Kim Tae-hwang, a professor of international trade at Myongji University in Seoul, said the meeting between Bessent and He was likely to be exploratory and was not expected to produce major immediate results. "Both sides are essentially in a holding pattern ahead of the summit, sounding each other out, rather than seeking breakthroughs," he said. Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang and Vice Finance Minister Liao Min were among the officials accompanying He, according to the report.
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ing the agenda. Trump’s meetings in Beijing are expected to include discussions on tariffs, semiconductor restrictions, artificial intelligence cooperation and expanded US exports, including Boeing aircraft, agricultural products and energy supplies. Beijing, meanwhile, is seeking relief from American restrictions on chipmaking equipment and advanced semiconductor exports.
Asif says Centre, KP united against terror as NA erupts in chaos
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ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
staff report
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake a three-day official visit to China from May 23 to 26, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Tuesday as Pakistan and China move to deepen strategic and digital cooperation. Speaking at the launch ceremony of the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Centre in Islamabad, Dar said the prime minister would also participate in a business-tobusiness forum on May 24 during the visit. The visit follows President Asif Ali Zardari’s recent five-day trip to China, during which both countries signed multiple memoranda of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation in key economic sectors. Pakistan and China maintain a longstanding strategic partnership spanning trade, infrastructure, energy and defence, with both countries set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations on May 21. The latest engagement comes amid Pakistan’s recent diplomatic efforts to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran, a process in which China has also remained involved. A day earlier, Dar held a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss regional developments and Islamabad’s mediation efforts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last visited China in September 2025 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Addressing the digital economy event, Dar said Pakistan and China were entering “a new phase in the digital age”, adding that the emerging Pak-China digital corridor would promote innovation, connectivity and technological cooperation. He said the partnership would support collaboration in digital transformation, agriculture, climate resilience, healthcare, disaster management and smart cities, while creating broader opportunities for the Global South.
Naqvi vows to eliminate illegal constructions, land-grabbing from Islamabad ISLAMABAD
asaD nizaMi
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said the federal government and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration were now “on the same page” in the fight against terrorism, acknowledging improved coordination between Islamabad, the province and the armed forces. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Asif said the KP government was now “standing firmly with the Centre and the armed forces against terrorism”, adding that national unity against militancy was a positive development. The minister’s remarks came in response to an emotional speech by Noor Alam Khan, who criticised both the federal and provincial governments over the deteriorating security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the suffering of residents affected by terrorist violence. Asif maintained that terrorism was a national issue requiring joint efforts from all provinces, not just the Centre, while highlighting the sacrifices made by security personnel in recent attacks, including the
PM Shehbaz to visit China as Islamabad pushes digital, regional diplomacy
staff report
deadly assault on a police post in Bannu. Rejecting calls for fresh talks with Kabul, the defence minister said Pakistan had already held extensive negotiations with the Afghan Taliban government through multiple channels, including meetings in Kabul, Turkiye and Qatar, but without tangible results. “We pleaded with them to stop supporting terrorists and dismantle their camps, but no solution emerged,” he said, adding that Afghan authorities were unwilling to provide written guarantees that Pakistani soil would not be targeted from across the border.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Wednesday that illegal constructions and land-grabbing in the federal capital would be removed entirely, according to the interior ministry. The remarks were made during a special meeting jointly chaired by Naqvi and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry, the ministry said in a post on X. "Land-grabbing mafia and illegal constructions will be completely eradicated from Islamabad," the ministry quoted Naqvi as saying. "Operation Clean-up would continue without any pressure until it achieves its final result." For the last two months, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been carrying out anti-encroachment drives in Islamabad, particularly targeting katchi abadis. Residents of these settlements have strongly protested the operations. Under CDA rules, 34 housing societies and schemes were required to transfer amenity land to the civic body for further use. However, despite the passage of years, the CDA has not obtained that land.
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