US president offers no news of any breakthrough on Iran. Plus, how renters\u2019 rights could be key issue in midterms<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Good morning.<\/p>\n On his visit to China<\/a>, Donald Trump has seemed to revel in Chinese hospitality and flattery. Walking in the Zhongnanhai garden, in Beijing, the US president was overheard saying that his counterpart, Xi Jinping, was giving him roses for the White House rose garden, according to a pool report.<\/p>\n What has China said on Iran?<\/strong> On Friday, China\u2019s foreign ministry again called for a ceasefire in Iran and said the strait of Hormuz should be opened \u201cas soon as possible\u201d. Ahead of the summit, there was speculation the US might appeal to China<\/a>, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to use its leverage to encourage the country to reopen the strait of Hormuz. But that was walked back by US secretary of state Marco Rubio on Thursday, who said, \u201cWe don\u2019t need their help.\u201d<\/p>\n What about talks over Taiwan?<\/strong> They weren\u2019t mentioned much. Xi took a firm tone<\/a>, declaring that \u201cTaiwan independence\u201d and peace in the Taiwan strait were \u201cincompatible\u201d. Trump took a muted approach as he sidestepped questions on Taiwan. A White House readout of the meeting published later also omitted mention of the country.<\/p>\n What do Russia\u2019s renewed heavy attacks tell us?<\/strong> Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said on Thursday that Russia\u2019s heavy bombardment of Kyiv showed Moscow was \u201cbanking on escalation rather than negotiation. Kyiv and its partners are ready for negotiations aimed at a just peace,\u201d Merz said<\/a>. \u201cRussia, for its part, is continuing the war.\u201d<\/p>\n