In his opening remarks, Hegseth warned China seeks no less than hegemony over the region and is increasingly willing to resort to force. He cited confrontations in the South China Sea, including incidents in which China's coast guard used water cannon against Philippine vessels, injuring several people last year.

President Trump said on Friday that China is violating the "fast deal" it made with the nation to pare back tariffs during negotiations.

The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, has totally violated its agreement with us," said Trump.

Beijing has high hopes for its C919 single-aisle jet after years of delay, but the plane depends on engines, avionics and other gear from Western companies.

The Tianwen-2 mission by China targets asteroid 2016 HO3 to gather samples, with plans for future missions to Mars and Jupiter, enhancing space exploration efforts.

Exactly why trade talks between the U.S. and China are stalled isn’t totally clear, but there’s at least one area that can help get them back on track: critical minerals. So suggested U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a CNBC interview on Friday,