U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi within a 24-hour period.

According to Chinese official sources, Xi spoke with Trump late on the night of November 24, during which both leaders reiterated the importance of maintaining communication. Xi stated that U.S.-China relations have “remained stable” following the Busan meeting and emphasized that the two countries should promote cooperation on the basis of mutual respect. During the call, Xi reiterated China’s stance on the Taiwan issue, highlighting the importance of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Following the call, Trump posted on social media, describing U.S.-China relations as “very solid” and disclosed that he had accepted an invitation to visit China in 2026, without providing further details.

Approximately one day later, Trump held another call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. According to Japanese sources, the call was initiated by Trump and focused on U.S.-China relations and regional developments. Takaichi stated that both sides confirmed they would continue to maintain close communication and described her exchanges with Trump as “maintaining good communication.”

Neither call disclosed specific policy details, but the fact that the U.S. communicated with both Beijing and Tokyo in quick succession is seen as a signal of keeping diplomatic channels open.

Amid rising tensions between China and Japan, the Japanese government has firmly refused to retract Takaichi’s earlier remarks regarding a “Taiwan contingency,” stating that peace in the Taiwan Strait concerns the international community and emphasizing that its position is “fully maintained.” China has recently issued a series of countermeasures against Japan, including flight restrictions and travel advisories, further straining bilateral relations.

New data shows that Australians experiencing mental health crises are spending increasingly longer periods in emergency departments (ED) while waiting for inpatient beds, with some severe cases forced to remain for more than 23 hours. The findings reflect unprecedented pressure on the nation’s emergency and mental health systems. In a report released on the 25th, the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) stated that EDs have been “forced to become the primary entry point” for mental health emergencies, but severe shortages in staffing and beds have pushed waiting times to unsafe levels.

According to the report, nearly 10% of mental health patients now wait more than 23 hours—an increase of around seven hours compared with a decade ago. Between 2016 and 2024, mental health-related ED presentations grew by 11% to more than 310,000, with the sharpest increases seen among First Nations people and those aged over 65. The proportion of high-urgency cases climbed from 63% to nearly 75%. ACEM stressed that mounting pressure is preventing EDs from providing appropriate care.

ACEM president Stephen Gourley warned that without immediate government investment, healthcare quality will worsen. He noted that some patients are left for long periods in brightly lit and noisy emergency areas due to the lack of available beds—conditions he described as “bordering on inhumane.” South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania were identified as the most affected, with only around 40% of patients receiving care within recommended timeframes.

ACEM is calling on state governments to increase the number of mental health beds and expand community support services, to prevent people from being forced into EDs due to a lack of alternative options. The report highlighted positive results from initiatives such as “Safe Haven Cafes” and collaborative mental-health emergency response models implemented in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria, recommending these be rolled out nationwide.

The report comes as federal and state governments engage in tense negotiations over hospital funding. The Productivity Commission recently criticised the national mental health agreement signed three years ago for failing to meet its targets, noting that around 3,000 Australians die by suicide each year, with economic losses exceeding AUD 200 billion.