US President Trump delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly accusing Iran of funding terrorism, stating that it will never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and faces a choice between reaching an agreement or total destruction.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attended the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly and met with the UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, and leaders of other countries. He will elaborate on China's views on the international situation, regional issues, and the work of the United Nations, emphasize true multilateralism, and call for strengthening the authority of the United Nations and reforming global governance.
Ahead of the US-China leaders' summit, several bipartisan lawmakers told Voice of America that US policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged, supporting Taiwan in maintaining its self-defense capabilities continues to be an important issue for Washington, and emphasizing the maintenance of the cross-strait status quo.
China will host a high-level dialogue at the UN headquarters marking the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative, aiming to promote the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that over the past five years, the initiative has mobilized more than $23 billion and implemented over 2,000 cooperation projects.
US President Trump delivered his sixth speech in office at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, focusing on the strength of the US economy, border security, national sovereignty, and the "America First" policy. He specifically addressed the Iran issue, reiterating that Iran would never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, and criticized Iran's support for regional conflicts. The speech also touched upon policies toward countries such as Venezuela and Cuba, as well as perspectives on the development of artificial intelligence (superintelligence).
Brazilian President Lula delivered a speech at the 81st UN General Assembly, criticizing the United Nations for failing to effectively stop wars and pointing out that the Security Council failed to play its role. He emphasized the importance of diplomacy, and discussed the Middle East conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Brazil's position in international affairs.
China's Ministry of Commerce and four other departments announced the addition of two precursor chemicals to the export control catalog. Starting immediately, exports to the United States, Mexico, and Canada will require a license application, a move seen as a response to the Trump administration's demands for the control of fentanyl precursors.
On the evening of September 20, Taiwanese Labor Minister Hung Sun-han arrived in Nanjing to attend the APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting held on the 21st. This is the first ministerial-level official to visit mainland China since the Lai Ching-te administration took office. The Mainland Affairs Council stated that he entered using the meeting invitation letter and did not need a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents.
The Saudi Central Bank withdrew from the mBridge project in May 2025 after completing a proof of concept. The project had previously been seen as a potential pathway for Saudi Arabia to promote oil trade with reduced reliance on the U.S. dollar. Despite its withdrawal, some media outlets continued to list Saudi Arabia as a participant as late as August 2026.
On September 19, a Chinese citizen in Russia was asked to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles on the grounds of a residency registration issue during a local police check. Although the person stated that the landlord had already handled the registration, the police insisted on either paying the fine or being taken to the police station.
It was officially announced that Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, with an itinerary including a tour of the National Archives and attendance at a state dinner.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New York late at night on September 21, planning to hold talks with Trump on September 22. The visit aims to coordinate stances on China ahead of a US-China summit and discuss the burden of US military stationing costs in Japan.
September 21, Guangxi Yulin Beiliu City Guanhe (Beiliu) Toy Co., Ltd delayed employee wages, and many employees gathered at the factory gate, raising banners to demand unpaid wages. #InternationalRelations
According to reports on September 21, Chinese state-owned enterprises ordered about 260,000 tons of U.S. soybeans last week, scheduled for shipment between December and next January, bringing total purchases for the current marketing season to nearly 13 million tons.
September 21, a netizen posted that Jiangsu Hailan Home strictly inspected employees' shoe racks; because the heel of a pair of shoes on a rack protruded beyond the edge, the manager called it "protruding" and demanded "the correction be completed and inspected before 12 noon". The employee then cut off the protruding part of the shoe heel with scissors and replied in the group: "Report to the squad leader, the protruding part of the shoe has been corrected." Netizens in the comment section said "I didn't know... #InternationalRelations"