Top U.S. and Chinese officials had a series of meetings, leading to predictions of a possible summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun that the U.S. doesn’t want conflict between the superpowers. Soon after, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which he emphasized “open and constructive communication on a range of bilateral issues.” (BLOOMBERG)
The Trump administration is reportedly considering imposing restrictions on Chinese-made medicines. A draft executive order targeting a range of Chinese experimental therapies is apparently being discussed with U.S. biotech stakeholders. Furious lobbying is underway both from investors who want to shield U.S. companies from Chinese competition and drug companies that want to license cutting-edge Chinese treatments. If imposed, it could upend U.S. patients’ access to everything from generic drugs to emerging technologies. (NEW YORK TIMES)
