Chinese authorities have publicly defended Vice Minister Li Chenggang, a trade negotiator, after he was criticized by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.

Donald Trump has signed an order to impose tariffs imports into the U.S. from countries including China, Mexico and Canada.

Global Tariffs

Chinese authorities have publicly defended Vice Minister Li Chenggang, a trade negotiator, after he was criticized by US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant. The Chinese side rejected Besant's comments as distorted and insisted that Li was simply performing his duties. The exchange follows ongoing tensions in the trade relationship between the two countries, particularly concerning rare earth materials.

Despite the heated rhetoric, both the US and China have suggested that a scheduled meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump remains on track. No significant new actions or tariffs have been announced, and the situation appears to be marked more by strong language than by concrete policy changes.

China defends trade negotiator

We'll turn to Washington now, where the trade war with China is showing no signs of abating. Eamon Javers with us now. So what's next, Eamon? Yeah, Sarah, what we saw overnight is the Chinese side responding, defending their conduct and defending their man in comments to reporters there. The Chinese side saying that their conduct in terms of these rare earth materials has been fine and accused the U.S. of stoking panic. And they also defended a lower-level trade official who was singled out by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant yesterday. The official is a vice minister at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Li Chenggang, and the Treasury Secretary tore into him. There you see him in file footage from earlier this year. What the Chinese side says is that Besant is making grossly distorted comments about this official, saying he was simply doing his job as a negotiator and that the U.S. is overreacting to it. Sarah, of course, Besant first named him by name in his interview with you yesterday, which is unusual for a U.S. delegation to do. And then I asked him at a press conference later in the day more detail on that. And that's when he really tore into this official, saying that he'd showed up uninvited, that he was being disrupted, that he was causing problems. So the question in my mind now this morning, guys, after this back and forth over this official is, why is Besant singling out this particular guy? Does he want the Chinese to remove him? I asked him that yesterday. He said, well, that's up to the Chinese side. Or is he looking for a flash point sort of lower down the org chart that they can focus on and not focus on the flash point being between the two big guys at the top, of course, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump himself? So maybe this is a tactical thing. Maybe it's trying to remove a roadblock. We don't fully know. But clearly, this official and his role in these negotiations has become a real flashpoint here, guys. Yes. And I agree that the word, the official word, at least from Besant and the day before him, Greer, was the Xi Trump meeting is scheduled and still on at the end of the month. When I think that's the important point, Sarah. Yeah. I mean, you look at both of these nations, right? They both threatened to do a lot of things, but they haven't actually done a lot of things over the course of this flare up of tension. So there's been a lot of red hot rhetoric over the past week, but not a lot of actual action. And both sides seem to be suggesting that that meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump is still on track. I think, you know, that's the thing to look at here. There's some snarling and some barking, but there's not a lot of canceling or tariffing going on. Yeah. Amid all of this, it's Tim Cook, who is in China this week, aiming and pledging to increase investment in that country, which adds another to it. Yeah. I am in Jefferson, D.C. Thanks.

China has accused the U.S. of stoking panic over its rare earth controls and said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had made "grossly distorted" remarks about a top Chinese trade negotiator, rejecting a White House call to roll back the curbs.

Beijing

China blames U.S. for global panic over rare earths controls

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had a "productive" phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and announced plans for a meeting with Putin in Hungary.

Washington

Ukraine Invasion

Trump says he plans to meet with Putin in Hungary

Israel said it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt but set no date as it traded blame with Hamas over violations of the ceasefire. A row over the return of bodies of hostages from Gaza retains the potential to upend the truce.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu says fight with Hamas 'not over yet'

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a temporary ceasefire on Wednesday after airstrikes and ground fighting ramped up tensions between the South Asian neighbors, leaving more than a dozen civilians dead and 100 wounded.

Balochistan

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree temporary truce after fresh fighting

U.S. President Trump confirmed CIA covert operations in Venezuela during a press conference in the Oval Office on Wednesday. CBS News' Ed O'Keefe asked Trump about what that means for Nicolás Maduro.

Trump authorizes CIA covert operations in Venezuela

Israel is still limiting the number of aid trucks allowed to enter Gaza nearly a week after a ceasefire deal was agreed. It’s told the United Nations will only allow 300 per day - that's half the minimum number agreed under the truce.
The UN says even 600 trucks entering daily would not be enough to meet the needs of the population.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Gaza ceasefire fears as Israel limits aid trucks to less than agreed

President Trump confirmed that he has authorised the CIA to go into Venezuela and conduct covert operations.

Trump says he authorised covert CIA operations in Venezuela

Hamas is back on the streets of Gaza in an attempt, it says, to restore law and order -- and to send a message.

Hamas executes Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel

A federal judge in Oregon has extended temporary restraining orders that block the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland. Meanwhile, federal agents in Chicago used tear gas to disperse a crowd after a car chase ended in a crash.

Chicago

Federal agents deploy tear gas in Chicago despite court order

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily ordered the Trump administration to halt the firing of workers during the government shutdown.

Judge temporarily blocks Trump from firing workers during shutdown

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is traveling to the U.S. to meet with President Trump. The two leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of the U.S. supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles.

Trump to meet with Zelenskyy about long-range missiles

The U.S. military struck a fifth apparent Venezuelan boat allegedly carrying drugs, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media Tuesday. CBS News' Natalie Brand has more details.

Caracas

Trump says U.S. struck another alleged Venezuelan boat

News organizations including The New York Times, The Associated Press and Newsmax as well as ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News say they will not sign new press rules as laid out in a Defense Department document. This could mean the Trump administration will evict reporters from the Pentagon.

Major U.S. news media outlets refusing to sign new Pentagon rules

Madagascar’s president ousted in a military takeover — Youth-led protests and parliament’s impeachment vote spark political turmoil.

Antananarivo

Madagascar's military seizes power, president ousted

Thousands of messages shared in a group chat of Young Republicans are revealing some racist thoughts that even they worried about being leaked. The exchanges obtained by Politico are part of a Telegram chat among Young Republican leaders in New York, Kansas, Arizona and Vermont. Jason Beeferman, New York state politics reporter for Politico, joins with more.

Politico exposes racist messages sent by Young Republican leaders

The U.S. stock market rebounded on Monday (October 13) after President Trump appeared to walk back imposing new tariffs on Chinese goods.

Markets rebound after Trump softens tone on China tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump is heading back to the U.S. after his whirlwind trip to the Middle East, where he celebrated the first phase of a peace plan between Israel and Hamas.

Sharm El-Sheikh

Trump, world leaders sign Gaza peace plan and discuss next steps

The government shutdown entered its third week on Monday as the Senate is set to reconvene on Tuesday. CBS News' Nikole Killion has more from Capitol Hill.

Shutdown drags into third week as Senate set to reconvene

U.S. President Donald Trump was greeted in Tel Aviv with cheers and a military ceremony as he met families of hostages held in Gaza and addressed Israel's parliament. He now travels to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to join world leaders in discussions on Gaza's future.

Trump meets with Israeli leaders and hostage families

Twenty living hostages were released by Hamas after more than two years in captivity as a ceasefire continues to hold. Families in Israel describe emotional reunions while others continue to await confirmation about missing relatives.

Families reunite as ceasefire brings hostages, prisoners home

Israeli officials have confirmed that all 20 living captives have been released in Gaza.

Israel confirms all 20 living captives in Gaza have been released

The carefully choreographed Israel-Hamas exchange is underway, with Israel set to release around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners following the release of remaining hostages held in Gaza. Noga Tarnopolsky reports from Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square.

Israel-Hamas swap begins as 2,000 Palestinian prisoners set for release

Following his visit to Israel, President Trump will stop in Egypt to co-host a major summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The meeting will bring together leaders from more than 20 countries to discuss efforts toward peace in Gaza and the wider Middle East.

Donald Trump to co-host chair Gaza peace summit in Egypt

The French presidency announced Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's new cabinet line-up on Sunday (October 12), with most top jobs remaining unchanged at a time when opponents are demanding a political shift to win their support for urgent budget talks.

Paris

French presidency unveils new cabinet as budget pressure intensifies

Seven captives have been handed over to the Red Cross, who will facilitate their transfer to Israeli forces.

Israeli military says Red Cross has received 7 captives in Gaza

On his way to the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he expects the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to hold, despite concerns Hamas won’t abide by the deal.

Trump says the 'war is over', Gaza rebuild to start immediately

China on Sunday (October 12) called U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariffs on Chinese goods hypocritical and defended its curbs on exports of rare earth elements and equipment, but stopped short of imposing new levies on U.S. products.

Beijing blames U.S. for trade tensions, defends rare earth curbs

Afghanistan and Pakistan said they killed dozens of each other's troops during a night of heavy border clashes between the two countries. Afghanistan's Taliban forces launched attacks on Pakistani troops along their shared border in what it called "retaliation for air strikes carried out by the Pakistani army on Kabul".

Chaman

Border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan leave dozens dead

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas held in Gaza for a third day ahead of the expected release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and an address by U.S. President Donald Trump to Israel's parliament.

Ceasefire holds in Gaza ahead of hostage release, Trump visit

Zelenskyy called Trump for a second consecutive day to discuss defence and Ukraine's energy sector. It comes as Russia further intensifies its attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure ahead of its harsh winter.

China defends trade negotiator

Breakdown

See The Full Story

Global Tariffs