Xu Zhangrun, a constitutional scholar outspoken in his criticism of President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party, has been particularly vocal about the regime's handling of the coronavirus.
Relations between the economic giants have gone downhill fast since they signed a preliminary trade pact four months ago. The latest tussles over the coronavirus and Hong Kong add to the friction.
Retired businessman Ren Zhiqiang, who criticized Chinese leader Xi Jinping, went missing in mid-March. The Communist Party says Ren is under "disciplinary review and supervision and investigation."
The leaders spoke after a virtual G-20 meeting. President Trump called it a "very good conversation," and China state TV said Xi Jinping offered to help the U.S. respond to the spread of the virus.
During months of protests, the territory's chief executive has suffered setbacks in the streets and at the ballot box. But she still enjoys support from China, where she's paying a visit Monday.
President Trump says he stands with democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong. But he stopped short of pledging support for a pro-Hong Kong bill, saying it could complicate trade talks with China.
In a Wednesday evening tweet, the president offered a personal meeting with Xi Jinping in hopes the two could "humanely solve" the unrest over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The pace of growth in the second quarter was its slowest since 1992. The National Bureau of Statistics attributed the change to a complicated international environment.
President Trump is due to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping this weekend, raising hopes the two leaders might call a truce in their trade war. The White House has downplayed expectations of a deal.
Under the Communist Party's ideological reeducation of China's population, humiliation by foreign powers forms an emotional underpinning of the country's national identity.
The two countries are marking the 70th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations. But some experts believe Xi Jinping's trip has another purpose.
The leaders are scheduled to meet on Thursday, according to Chinese and North Korean news agencies. The visit comes after stalled negotiations with President Trump.
Rare earths are used in communications, health care and national security. China blocked rare earths to Japan in 2010, but analysts say the threat — regardless of the trade war — may be hollow.
Anne-Marie Brady is a professor at the University of Canterbury, and says she has been the victim of a campaign of intimidation in her home country after publishing research critical of China.
China's leader seeks to bring an old U.S. ally into his sphere. But the Philipine people are sceptical that China will deliver on its promise of billions of dollars in aid.
Under President Xi Jinping, China has devoted massive resources to burnish its global image and focus overwhelming media attention on its leader. Now, "Xi Jinping is the message," observes one expert.
The Chinese president told a group of investors and regional leaders gathered in Hainan that his country would "significantly" lower tariffs on imported automobiles and other products.
The visit to Beijing was Kim Jong Un's first foreign trip since taking power in 2011, and it follows North Korea's recent agreement to hold talks with the leaders of South Korea and the United States.
The visit, kept tightly under wraps, comes just ahead of a planned summit between Kim and President Trump. Both Kim and Chinese leader Xi Jinping affirmed commitment to North Korea's denuclearization.
In a land dominated for thousands of years by absolute monarchs, the move is historically significant and seen by Chinese liberals as a big step backward.
China's foreign policy grew increasingly assertive in 2017, but there is debate about the country's capacity for global leadership. Beijing isn't keen to replace the U.S. on the world stage.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping gave little indication he was ready to budge on trade or North Korea, Trump's top priorities. $250 billion in deals were announced, but bigger issues remain unresolved.
