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China's president used a summit with President Trump to repeat a warning about Taiwan. President Trump called his visit the biggest summit ever, but AIDS negotiated until the last moment over what to announce of anything. >> I'm Michelle Martin in Washington, DC.
Steven's keep is in Beijing, and this is up first from NPR News.
[MUSIC] >> What do China's neighbors make at the summit? Many of them are US allies that count on American support against China. We hear what summer considering to do if they should ever lose that protection. >> And back at this country in appeals court considers the president's effort to punish law firms he doesn't like.
The president targeted lawyers for representing his political opponents. Lower court sided with attorneys, but the president has not given up.
“Say with us, we'll give you news you need to start today.”
[MUSIC] >> From Spider-Man to a new Steven Spielberg movie, we know that TV and movies you'll want to watch this summer. >> I'm excited about this film. I just know suspense, intrigue aliens, and I'm like, all right, Spielberg, I'm in.
>> Check out this summer guide from Pop Culture Happy Hour, listen on the NPR app, or wherever you get podcasts. [MUSIC] >> Two presidents have been talking here in China's capital. >> President Trump met with China's president Xi Jinping and the great hall of the people.
Each side has released an account of their conversation. And each account suggests the leaders repeated familiar themes rather than breaking new ground. The U.S. version of the talks says they discussed getting American products into China. China says Xi repeated a familiar one to the U.S. over Taiwan.
The American version never mentions Taiwan.
According to the Chinese, Trump said things in private that were very much like he's saying in public. >> And there are those that say this is maybe the biggest summit ever.
“They can never remember anything like it.”
It's I can say in the United States it's people aren't talking about anything else. >> NPR senior political correspondent Tamra Keith has been traveling with the president. She's with us here in Beijing. >> Hi Tamra. >> So give me the big picture.
What does Trump want out of this summit? >> Yeah, and true to his brand wherever Trump goes, he is looking to make deals. And it's not just the president himself more than a dozen top corporate leaders from the U.S. are part of the delegation here. Tesla's Elon Musk and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, which makes chips that are powering the AI boom.
Both flew with Trump on Air Force One. I saw a Tim Cook of Apple earlier today as well.
And Trump highlighted their presence in his remarks at the start of his first meeting with Xi.
>> And they're here today to pay respects to you and to China. And they look forward to trade and doing business. And it's going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf. Of course, the reality of doing business in China is vastly more complicated than Trump makes it sound.
But this is basically a year after Trump launched a trade war and then China struck back. And both countries are now looking to put the trade relationship on at least a little bit more of a stable footing. >> Okay, this summit began with the ceremony this morning Beijing time at the Great Hall of the People.
And you got to be there. What was it like? >> There were red carpets for miles. There was a military demonstration with soldiers marching in perfect synchrony. A military band played the U.S. National Anthem as cannons were fired from Tiananmen Square.
>> Well, I want people to hear what that sounded like so they can almost be standing next to you. So let's just linger in the sound that you recorded at that moment. >> Thousands of children welcoming President Trump chanting a welcome while holding our official flowers and American and Chinese flags.
They're jumping up and down waving the flags. President Trump is clearly charmed by all these children. So these kids were perfectly well behaved, perfectly lined up. And then once the leaders were out of view, they became real kids.
“And they were super weekly and relieved, I think, to be able to stop performing.”
But Trump later remarked on the kids as well. >> That was an honor, like few have ever seen before. And I think I was particularly impressed by those children. They were happy. They were beautiful.
>> Earlier this year, Trump said that he told she that they should put on the biggest display in the history of China. But I have to say that although this was impressive, this welcome ceremony really didn't seem all that different from how Trump was received in 2017 when he first visited as President.
Is there real substance in this meeting? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> It's also a show, but at this moment in history, Trump and she are the decision makers. They are the negotiators.
And so the state of the relationship between these two nations competing for global dominance comes down to the relationship between two men. >> Yeah, I got an impression from that communicate that the Chinese put out that they
Were continuing to negotiate right up to the last moment to try to find somet...
>> Indeed, they were.
>> And Pierre's tamer key that's a pleasure to see you, thank you so much.
You're welcome. >> Okay. Chinese state media are reporting at least one thing that President Xi told President Trump. >> Xi made a statement about Taiwan.
China's president said if that relationship is not handled well, the U.S. and China will clash. He said it could put their whole relationship in jeopardy. Taiwan is a U.S. security partner. >> Okay.
What do we make of that? NPR's Anthony Cune has covered East Asia for many, many years. He joins us from Seoul, South Korea, and it's good to talk with you. You too, Steve.
“>> Is Taiwan worried about a warning like the one that came out today?”
>> Well, Taiwan is a cabinet spokesperson, Michelle Lee responded to Xi's warning by saying that the sole source of instability in the Taiwan state and the region is China's military threat against Taiwan, or put another way the risk of authoritarian expansion. Previously, the official line of out of Taipei has been that the government is concerned but not overly worried.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Jialong spoke to reporters earlier this week and he put it this way. >> We maintain continuous communication with the U.S. He said both publicly and privately and we are confident in the stable development of Taiwan U.S. relations.
Now, Lin said he thinks that Taiwan is not high on the U.S. agenda, which is dominated by trade in Iran, but clearly China puts it front and center. The U.S. government keeps insisting that there is no change in the U.S. policy toward
Taiwan, but Lin Jialong added that ultimately the U.S. side is led by Trump, and he seems
to be suggesting that Trump could veer away from established policy. >> Well, that is an interesting thought because there are a lot of countries in the region that have a stake in the United States and China's relationship. A lot of countries rely on the United States for potential defense against China. Let's talk about a key U.S. ally, Japan.
What's Japan saying here? Well, their ties are remain at the frostiest they've been in over a decade and they started back in November when Prime Minister Senai Takaichi said that Japan could possibly get involved militarily in case of a Chinese attack or blockade of Taiwan. China launched a global pressure campaign to try to get Takaichi to retract her remarks.
That's still going on. President Trump did not exactly leap to Japan's defense right away. And still hopes that he will and Beijing, or at least that in his eagerness to cut a deal with China, Trump will not sell out Japan's or Taiwan's interests, or use them as a bargaining chip.
“Are there smaller countries in the region that feel like they have to hedge their bets?”
They have to be friendly with both the U.S. and China? >> Yes, you could say many countries are double hedging or triple hedging. They're trying to stay both on Beijing and Washington's good sides at the same time as their busy building ties among themselves. These leaders are aware of President Trump's long-time skepticism about allies and
alliances, and they've heard his public remarks about a U.S.-China G2, which is short-hand for the U.S. and China taking charge of global governance. An example of leaders' response is Japanese Prime Minister Senai Takaichi, who just visited Vietnam in Australia, and her message was that middle powers need to cooperate on economic security in order to preserve their own autonomy and protect them from economic coercion
by other countries. Another example, of course, is Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who, after he clashed with President Trump over tariffs last year, signed trade and security deals with 12 countries and told leaders that the world economic forum that, as he put it, if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.
>> Mm, and Pierre's Anthony Cune, and so, thanks so much. >> Thanks, Steve.
“>> President Trump's campaign to punish big law firms will get a hearing before an appeals”
court today. >> The White House has tried to yank security clearances and ban attorneys from federal buildings because the firms hired people or represented clients, the President does not like. >> And Pierre's carried Johnson has been following this legal drama, and he's here now to
tell us more about a commanding hearing. >> Good morning, Michelle. First, would you describe these White House orders and explain what the President was trying to do? >> Yeah, President Trump's orders targeted several major law firms.
He went about that several ways using security clearances and access to government buildings. And he tried to prevent the firms from winning federal contracts with the government too. These law firms had once employed people who investigated Donald Trump, like attorneys and the Russia probe, or they had represented causes their clients like the Democratic
National Committee.
>> Here's what the President had to say when he signed one of those orders last year.
>> This is an absolute honor to sign what they've done is it's just terrible. It's a weaponization. You could say weaponization against a political opponent, and it should never be allowed to happen again.
>> Now, four of those law firms fought back in court, Wilmer Hale, Jenner, an...
Coie, and Sussman Godfrey, and they all won before judges who were appointed by Democratic
and Republican presidents. But this administration says courts cannot tell the President how to handle national security clearances, and they cannot interfere with directives about building access or government contracts. Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit is going to hear the case.
“>> How are the law firms preparing to make their case?”
>> The firms are looking to Supreme Court President that says our justice system depends on an informed and independent bar.
They're going to argue these orders violate the First Amendment and pose a severe threat
to the legal profession and the rule of law. And they say in court papers, the adversarial system depends on courts hearing views from both sides. Lawyers need to be able to represent unpopular causes. They also say it's not just these law firms, their clients have a right to a lawyer of their
choice under the Sixth Amendment.
“And many nonprofit legal groups have filed friend of the court briefs to support the law firms.”
But people who tried to organize opposition to the Trump order say there's really been a lack of courage by other law firms and partners, Philip Lockovara served as a prosecutor in the Watergate scandal. >> We encountered very widespread and very frustrating reluctance on the part of partners in major law firms to sign on to anything because they were concerned or their firm management was
concerned about anything that involved getting crosswise with the president. >> Lockovara told me firms and partners were hiding in the weeds last year when Trump signed those orders. And it's still true since he couldn't get some big name lawyers and firms to sign briefs this year either.
“>> What did you expect will happen in court today?”
>> It's really odd that we are here only a couple of months ago the Justice Department filed papers to withdraw this appeal and just take the loss. But DOJ quickly reversed course in a sign that President Trump wants to have this fight. Arguing for the Justice Department will be Abhishek Kampley. He's argued some of the administration's toughest cases over the past year.
This will be one of his final moves in the government because he's leaving the DOJ soon. And arguing for the law firms will be former U.S. >> Mr. General Paul Clement, he's a conservative who's been taking on tough assignments
against the administration in Donald Trump's second term.
>> That is, and P.O.S. Kerry Johnson, carry thank you. >> Thanks for having me. [MUSIC] >> And that's up for us for this Thursday, May 14th. >> I'm Steve Innski.
>> And I'm Michelle Martin. Today's episode of First was edited by Miguel Masias Tina Crya. Anna, you can not off, we'll come at Elbar D.C. and John Stoneis, it was produced by Ziyad Buch and the DuMas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Misha Heines.
Our technical director is Carly Strange and our deputy executive producer is Kelly Dickens. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow. [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]
