China has undergone a significant leadership change within its elite unit responsible for managing the nuclear arsenal, leading to speculation about a purge. General Li Yuchao, the former head of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Rocket Force unit, and his deputy had been absent for several months, prompting their replacements.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with former top diplomat Henry Kissinger as the US seeks warmer relations with China.
When Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen meet with Xi Jinping, they will send a message of unity even as China seeks to create a possible break with the European Union.