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May 8 – May 14

The Department of State is taking steps to combat illicit fentanyl traffickers, actions to counter those who harm Americans. 

Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️

• President Trump met with President Xi in Beijing to address trade and global security. 
• Secretary Rubio joined Sean Hannity of Fox News to discuss foreign policy and national security.
• The United States took bold action to reject globalist migration frameworks.

President Trump Arrives in China For a State Visit

President Trump and Secretary Rubio attend a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping May 13, 2026, in Beijing, China. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

On May 13, President Trump arrived in Beijing, China, for a landmark summit and participated in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.  

The two discussed issues including trade relations, market access for American firms, and global security disruptions in the Middle East.  Both President Trump and President Xi agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. 

“It’s an honor to be with you, it’s an honor to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” said President Trump. 

Secretary Rubio Outlines Foreign Policy Wins on Hannity

“Foreign policy and national security matters work best when countries do what is in the best interest of their country,” said Secretary Rubio. 

On May 13, Secretary Rubio joined Sean Hannity of Fox News aboard Air Force One to discuss the administration’s progress on the world stage.  The Secretary detailed the ongoing summit in Beijing, noting that the President is making the case for China to take a “more active role” in curbing Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf. 

The Secretary also touched on bringing back factories and increasing industrial capacity in the United States and progress in Venezuela. 

“America is going to be engaged in the world. This is not about turning inward. But we are going to engage in the world based on what’s good for America, what’s in the national interest of the United States.” 

Securing the Border and Reclaiming National Sovereignty

The United States did not participate in the International Migration Review Forum that took place at the United Nations on May 5-8, 2026, and formally rejected the UN International Migration Review Forum’s declaration.  

President Trump is focused on the interests of Americans, not foreigners or globalist bureaucrats. The United States will not support a process that imposes, overtly or by stealth, guidelines, standards, or commitments that constrain the American people’s sovereign, democratic right to make decisions in the best interests of our country.   

News You May Have Missed

• The U.S. publicly restated our offer to provide humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people, if the Cuban regime will permit it. 
• We announced targeted visa restrictions for individuals involved in undermining peace in South Sudan.
• Secretary Rubio met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timotheos and discussed the U.S.-Ethiopia security partnership and significant steps taken to advance commercial opportunities between our nations.
• The Trump Administration intensified pressure on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by targeting the financial networks that enable its illicit oil operations.
• We sanctioned entities for providing satellite imagery that enables Iran’s military strikes in the Middle East and threatens American and partner personnel.
• We imposed sanctions on entities involved in Iran’s efforts to acquire or use arms and related materiel.
• The U.S. is participating in a second round of APEC 2026 Senior Officials’ Meetings and Ministerial Meetings in China to advance America’s trade and investment policies. 
• We announced a new initiative with SC Johnson and the Global Fund to deploy the Guardian, a first-of-its-kind American innovation designed to save lives by reducing the burden of malaria. 
• The U.S. pledged $1.8 billion in life-saving humanitarian funding to OCHA’s “Humanitarian Reset” and shared powerful results from the Trump Administration’s UN humanitarian reform agreement.

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