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Current comparison · May 16, 2026, 1:29 PM
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10 homepage articles30-day lookbackV2 story + event searchUpdated May 16, 2026, 1:29 PM

Early Signals is a field note for analysts: it takes visible agenda-setting journalism and asks what GDELT Cloud had already structured as Events and Stories. The point is not to predict the article; it is to show why agent access to coded event data, actors, places, and evidence links matters for geopolitical and macro workflows.

Precursor events
10 / 10
Story coverage
9 / 10
Best event lead time
28.3d ahead
Archive / older article setsMay 16, 2026, 1:29 PM
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Each row starts from a publisher story, then opens into the structured Events and Stories that give analysts earlier signal, context, and auditability.

01Takeaways from the US-China summit
semafor.comMay 15, 2026, 2:36 PMPublished anchor
Takeaways from the US-China summit
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 9.5h ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 7.7h after
Anchor summary

Then during his recent summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, two countries that had a year ago been raising tariffs on each other to well north of 100% — effectively barring trade between one another — were suddenly behaving like long lost pals. Semafor China Columnist Andy Brow

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct9.5h ahead

Trump and Xi meet in Beijing as talks resume after Taiwan warning is not a clean direct predictor on its own, but it forms part of a broader pattern that an experienced analyst could reasonably treat as a related precursor Event. 9.5h ahead.

Open lead event
02China notches soft-power win in US summit
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 10:42 PMPublished anchor
China notches soft-power win in US summit
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 1.8d ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 1.1d ahead
Anchor summary

China notches soft power win in US summit US President Donald Trump’s visit to China marks a soft power win for Beijing in its quest to present as a gleaming, high tech powerhouse. The summit has cast the world’s attention on China’s pandemic recovery and tech innovations of the

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct1.8d ahead

Donald Trump hails ties with Xi Jinping ahead of China visit is not a clean direct predictor on its own, but it forms part of a broader pattern that an experienced analyst could reasonably treat as a related precursor Event. 1.8d ahead.

Open lead event
03Opposing US-China readouts expose diplomatic fault lines
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 10:38 PMPublished anchor
Opposing US-China readouts expose diplomatic fault lines
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 1.2d ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 3.3h ahead
Anchor summary

Opposing US China readouts expose diplomatic fault lines Parallel statements from the US and China after their leaders’ met Thursday exposed sharp divides in their foreign policy postures. It’s a “tale of two readouts,” Politico’s China correspondent wrote. The White House recap

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct1.2d ahead

China sets “red lines” for Trump–Xi talks via Chinese Embassy post would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 1.2d ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Criticize or denounce record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
04China is playing diplomatic long game, experts say
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 10:33 PMPublished anchor
China is playing diplomatic long game, experts say
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 3.4h ahead
Story coverage
YES
Partial · 27.6d ahead
Anchor summary

China is playing diplomatic long game, experts say China is playing a long game on both Taiwan and Iran, analysts said. Beijing believes the global balance of power is slowly tilting in its favor and sees “patience as a winning strategy,” two experts wrote in Foreign Affairs. Chi

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct3.4h ahead

Pakistan backs China as mediator between the US and Iran would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 3.4h ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Praise or endorse record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
05Trump says China to purchase 200 Boeing jets
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 10:32 PMPublished anchor
Trump says China to purchase 200 Boeing jets
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 2.9d ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 19.8h after
Anchor summary

Trump says China to purchase 200 Boeing jets China agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, US President Donald Trump said Thursday, one of the first major deals to come out of the Beijing summit. While the Boeing order was expected, analysts are also watching for a possible breakthrough t

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct2.9d ahead

Trump and Xi Jinping meet in Beijing for China summit on trade and AI would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 2.9d ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Make a visit record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
06View: Back to the Future in Beijing
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 7:52 PMPublished anchor
View: Back to the Future in Beijing
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 18.8h ahead
Story coverage
NO
None · No story
Anchor summary

US President Donald Trump set the tone just before Air Force One touched down, posting that his first ask of Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, would be to “open up” China to allow the 17 corporate chieftains on his plane to “work their magic” and bring China to “an even higher leve

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct18.8h ahead

Xi Jinping welcomes Trump in China for high-stakes summit amid tensions is not a clean direct predictor on its own, but it forms part of a broader pattern that an experienced analyst could reasonably treat as a related precursor Event. 18.8h ahead.

Open lead event
07Rubio urges China to help US with Iran war
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 11:16 AMPublished anchor
Rubio urges China to help US with Iran war
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 12.2h ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 5.1h after
Anchor summary

Rubio urges China to help US with Iran war Maxim Shemetov/Pool/Reuters. Banner credit: Andrew Caballero Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images The US secretary of state called upon China to take “a more active role” in ending the Iran war, despite President Donald Trump earlier saying he

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct12.2h ahead

US Secretary Marco Rubio urges China to pressure Iran to change course would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 12.2h ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Demand policy support record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
08Xi warns Trump over Taiwan
semafor.comMay 14, 2026, 11:13 AMPublished anchor
Xi warns Trump over Taiwan
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 2.4d ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 1.1h after
Anchor summary

Read Semafor coverage of Trump’s visit → Chinese leader Xi Jinping hailed the US China relationship during President Donald Trump’s visit, but warned that Taiwan could prove a flashpoint and that the superpowers needed to avoid a “Thucydides trap” that could trigger conflict. The

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct2.4d ahead

Trump signals Taiwan arms sales, Jimmy Lai raised in Xi meeting would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 2.4d ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Make statement record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
09Nvidia’s Huang a ‘bargaining chip’ in China
semafor.comMay 13, 2026, 10:21 PMPublished anchor
Nvidia’s Huang a ‘bargaining chip’ in China
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 17.2h ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 18h after
Anchor summary

Nvidia’s Huang a ‘bargaining chip’ in China The Nvidia CEO’s last minute inclusion on US President Donald Trump’s trip to Beijing raised the possibility of a deal to break an impasse over AI chip sales to China. Trump in January greenlit shipments of Nvidia’s high powered H200 ch

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct17.2h ahead

Trump confirms Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang invited for China trip would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 17.2h ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Make statement record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event
10Xi to push Trump on Taiwan
semafor.comMay 13, 2026, 10:17 PMPublished anchor
Xi to push Trump on Taiwan
Precursor events
YES
Direct · 1.8d ahead
Story coverage
YES
Direct · 1h after
Anchor summary

Beijing is poised to press Donald Trump on US arms sales to Taiwan, amid rising concerns that the president could alter his stance toward the island. Trump on Monday said he would discuss the weapon sales with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, alarming the island’s supporters; some US l

Precursor Event Assessment
Precursor Direct1.8d ahead

Trump signals Taiwan arms sales, Jimmy Lai raised in Xi meeting would likely catch an analyst's eye as a strong precursor Event for the anchor article. 1.8d ahead. It shows up as a structured POLITICAL · Make statement record rather than unstructured article text.

Open lead event