Mon 04 May 2026:

The Iran war has given China, Russia and North Korea — described by the US as major security threats — a rare real-world opportunity to study the strengths and weaknesses of Washington’s military.

According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on Friday, these nations have witnessed new US weaponry in action for the first time, such as artificial intelligence (AI) assisted, high-speed precision airstrikes.

But they have also noted how quickly the US has exhausted critical munitions, particularly long-range Tomahawk missiles and Patriot interceptors. Additionally, they have seen how Iran’s inexpensive drones have posed a threat to Washington’s Gulf allies, according to the report.

The report pointed out that some of Iran’s military equipment is based on Chinese technology or contains Chinese parts, noting that Beijing would be keen to gather operational data, particularly regarding how Iran targeted US military bases in the Gulf.

For Russia, the war reportedly offers a deeper understanding of how American weapons compare to Iranian arms, especially in the context of overlapping drone technology.

The report said that such insight is valuable to Russia in its war with Ukraine which relies heavily on US weaponry, and in the event of a future conflict with NATO allies in Europe.

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Chinese, US trade negotiators call for expanding ‘pragmatic cooperation’ ahead of Trump visit

Senior Chinese and US economic officials and trade negotiators on Thursday called for deeper cooperation and better management of trade tensions, as both sides seek to stabilize ties ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to China in mid-May.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held a video call with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported. The officials discussed ways to advance economic and trade relations between China and the US.

The talks were described as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” focusing on implementing key understandings reached by the two countries’ leaders during previous engagements, including their October 2025 meeting in Busan, South Korea.

Officials also discussed how to address mutual concerns and expand what they termed “pragmatic cooperation.”

Beijing raised concerns over recent US trade restrictions targeting Chinese industries, signaling ongoing friction despite efforts to maintain dialogue.

Both sides, however, agreed to continue utilizing the bilateral economic and trade consultation mechanism to build consensus and manage differences.

-Source: AA

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