Why the latest China-US talks matter

Hello. With White House adviser Jake Sullivan visiting China for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, our correspondents in Beijing and Washington explain what's in it for both sides. In the Middle East, we hear from Palestinians who say their land is being claimed by settlers in the occupied West Bank. And scroll down to find out why young people never seem to answer the phone.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What China and the US want from talks

US President Joe Biden last met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in November 2023. Credit: Reuters

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan is in China for talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. November's US election looms over the meeting, with President Joe Biden having bowed out in favour of Kamala Harris - whose opponent Donald Trump has made clear he would raise tariffs further on Chinese goods.

What does China want from the talks?

Beijing will use this opportunity with Mr Sullivan to clarify its priorities. It will hope all parties in America are listening - China's ministry of foreign affairs has described this as a "critical juncture" between the world's two biggest economies. For China, the red line is and always will be Taiwan. It claims the self-governing island and has repeatedly said it will not tolerate any signs that Washington is encouraging Taiwanese independence.

And what's Washington's view?

The alleged support of Chinese firms for the Russian military is a tricky subject that China keeps trying to bat away, but Washington is insistent, and Mr Sullivan is likely to bring it up again. China's increasing assertiveness in Asia has also made the US wary of the impact of those ties further afield - particularly with Iran, which allies itself with Moscow and also arms Israel's adversaries.

And what are the mutual goals?

Reports of the two sides striking a deal on curbing fentanyl production are a good sign. It seems Jake Sullivan's previous meetings with Wang Yi have quietly laid the groundwork for what both sides call "stable relations". In a recent speech, Mr Sullivan said he and Mr Wang had "increasingly gotten to the point of setting aside the talking points and really having strategic conversations".

THE BIG PICTURE

Why all the fuss about the Oasis reunion?

The band have announced 14 shows in the UK and Ireland to kick off a world tour. Credit: Getty Images

Oasis may never have lived up to claims of being the biggest or best band in the world but they undeniably fuelled the Britpop buzz. As the combative Gallagher brothers plan their reunion tour, David Sillito revisits the heady days of the 1990s to explain why people care so much.

And finally... over the phone

It is a common generational gripe: why don't young people pick up the phone instead of texting for hours? My millennial colleague Yasmin Rufo has done some research, speaking to psychologists, phone-averse youth and their text-resistant elders. Here's what she found out.