China’s growing involvement in Middle East tensions is offering Beijing an opportunity to position itself as a strategic player as President Donald Trump weighs his next diplomatic moves with Iran.

Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to discuss how China is leveraging its relationship with Iran to project influence while signaling goodwill ahead of a potential high-stakes meeting with President Donald Trump.

Recent developments in the Strait of Hormuz highlight the depth of coordination between Beijing and Tehran, particularly as Iran pushes for transactions in Chinese currency, a shift that could challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar in global energy markets.

CHINA-RUSSIA’S COOPERATION HANDS THE US A ‘GRIEVOUS LOSS’ AS IRAN CONFLICT ESCALATES, EXPERT WARNS

Chang pointed to China’s broader role in sustaining Iran’s position, noting that Beijing has provided extensive support short of direct military involvement.

Chinese President Xi Jinping applause during the plenary session of China’s National People’s Congress. (Lintao Zhang / Getty Images)

“Of course, they’ve been supporting Iran across the board, except for soldiers, sailors and pilots, but everything else,” Chang said.

CONGRESSIONAL REPORT DETAILS HOW CHINA BUYS SANCTIONED OIL FROM IRAN, RUSSIA AND VENEZUELA

At the same time, China is attempting to cast itself as a diplomatic intermediary. Chang said Beijing played a limited role in recent ceasefire efforts, but emphasized the strategic intent behind that involvement.

“It did play a small mediating role in the ceasefire… But the point is, China wanted to show that it was a mediator, show power, because President Trump is scheduled to go to the Chinese capital May 14th… So they want goodwill,” Chang said.

The maneuvering underscores how China is balancing influence and optics, using diplomacy to strengthen its position as tensions in the region continue to evolve.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

Joe Lister
CEO & Member of Board

Good morning, everybody, and thank you all for joining the call. Since we last spoke, we’ve taken action across a number of areas and encouraged to see signs of early progress. And today, we will be updating on current trading, taking you through progress with disposals and flagging the appointment of an adviser to accelerate the repositioning of our portfolio and updating on our Q1 valuations for USAF and LSAV. So starting with trading. Overall, we are trading in line with the guidance we shared in February. We’re currently 74% reserved for ’26, ’27 academic year against 76% at the same time last year. And these reservations are supportive of our rental growth guidance of the 2% to 3% range.

Direct-let sales are responding to our productivity. We’re currently tracking about 1 to 2 points above the direct-let market at this stage. And the market is competitive, but we are benefiting from our mid-market price points and our productivity on pricing. We’re keeping our powder dry on incentives at the moment, but we could see some more promotional activity later in the year, and we are having success at selling beds that have been handed back to us by universities.

Nominations are currently at 54%. We’ve continued to see lower-tier universities be more cautious in their approach and managing their financial exposure. It is fairly normal that we see ups and downs in nominations agreements at this stage, and we could see norms move further by plus or minus 1 to 2 points by the end of the cycle. On the positive side, high-tariff universities are

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Intel Corp. shares climbed to a new 52-week high Friday, trading at $62.34, up $0.62 or 1.00% midday on April 10, 2026, as investors bet on the chipmaker’s deepening role in artificial intelligence infrastructure and progress in its ambitious foundry turnaround.

The stock has surged more than 30% year-to-date and nearly 200% over the past 12 months, recovering from multi-year lows as new CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s strategy gains traction. Recent high-volume sessions, including an 11.4% jump on April 8 following analyst upgrades and partnership news, underscore growing Wall Street confidence in Intel’s ability to compete in the AI era.

Intel’s rally accelerated this week after the company expanded its collaboration with Google to advance AI infrastructure using Xeon CPUs and custom Infrastructure Processing Units. The deepened partnership aims to meet surging demand for efficient data center performance and energy savings in cloud and AI workloads.

Earlier in the week, Intel confirmed it would join Elon Musk’s Terafab project — a massive joint venture involving Tesla, SpaceX and xAI — to help design and manufacture advanced chips at scale. The move provides critical validation for Intel’s foundry business and its advanced packaging capabilities, sending shares up nearly 3% in one session.

Analysts have taken notice. Wells Fargo raised its price target on Intel from $45 to $55 while maintaining an equal-weight rating, contributing to the stock’s push toward five-year highs. Other firms, including KeyBanc, have issued bullish commentary, with some targets reaching $70 or higher. Consensus remains mixed, however, with an average around $42 to $61 depending on the source, reflecting ongoing debate about execution risks.

Intel is scheduled to report first-quarter 2026 financial results after the market closes on April 23, with a conference call to follow. Investors will scrutinize progress on margins, foundry customer wins and AI-related revenue. The company has already shown improvement in its balance sheet, including a $14.2 billion repurchase of a 49% stake in its Ireland Fab 34 facility from Apollo Global Management, restoring full ownership of the advanced manufacturing site.

The foundry business remains central to Intel’s long-term strategy. Under Tan’s leadership, the company is aggressively ramping its 18A process technology and pursuing external customers to challenge industry leader TSMC. Recent wins and partnerships signal that Intel’s manufacturing credibility is improving, though it still faces intense competition and high capital demands.

Intel’s client computing segment, long its core, is also evolving with the push toward AI PCs. New Core Ultra processors and collaborations such as the expanded tie-up with CrowdStrike for AI-optimized security are designed to drive an upgrade cycle in personal computers and laptops. The company continues to highlight its role in supplying host CPUs for NVIDIA’s DGX systems, maintaining relevance in the data center despite losing some ground to AMD.

Shares have shown remarkable resilience. After trading as low as the high teens in recent years, Intel hit intraday highs near $63 on April 10 amid heavy volume. The 52-week range now spans roughly $18 to more than $62, illustrating both the depth of the prior slump and the speed of the recovery.

Market observers point to several tailwinds. Global AI spending continues to climb, creating opportunities for Intel’s Xeon processors and custom silicon. U.S. government support for domestic semiconductor manufacturing, including potential CHIPS Act funding, adds another layer of optimism. Intel’s decision to buy back the Fab 34 stake demonstrates improved financial flexibility and confidence in its internal production roadmap.

Still, challenges persist. Intel has posted mixed results in recent quarters, with some periods showing revenue beats offset by cautious guidance. Gross margins have been under pressure amid heavy investment in new fabs and process technologies. The upcoming earnings report will be closely watched for signs that cost controls and foundry utilization are heading in the right direction.

Wall Street sentiment has shifted noticeably. Several analysts now see more upside than downside at current levels, citing Intel’s undervaluation relative to peers when factoring in its manufacturing assets and AI potential. However, bears warn that delays in process node execution or slower-than-expected customer adoption could stall the momentum.

Intel’s stock performance stands in contrast to broader semiconductor trends. While Nvidia continues to dominate headlines with its GPU leadership, Intel is carving out a niche in CPUs, custom AI accelerators and advanced packaging. Its ability to serve as both a designer and manufacturer gives it a differentiated position that some investors view as undervalued.

Looking ahead, Intel faces a pivotal year. Success in landing major foundry contracts, scaling 18A production and delivering on AI PC promises could sustain the rally. Failure to meet milestones might test investor patience, especially given the capital-intensive nature of the business.

For now, the market is rewarding signs of progress. Friday’s modest gain extended a multi-day winning streak, with the stock up more than 25% in the past week alone. Trading volume has been elevated, reflecting heightened interest from both institutional and retail investors.

Intel executives have emphasized a disciplined approach: invest in leading-edge technology, secure external foundry customers and improve operational efficiency. Recent appointments, including Aparna Bawa as executive vice president and chief legal and people officer, signal efforts to strengthen leadership as the company navigates its transformation.

As Intel prepares for its April 23 earnings, the narrative has shifted from survival to potential resurgence. The stock’s climb to $62.34 territory marks a psychological milestone, bringing it closer to levels not seen in years and reigniting optimism among long-suffering shareholders.

Whether this momentum can carry through earnings and into the second half of 2026 will depend on tangible results in the data center, foundry and client segments. For a company once synonymous with American semiconductor dominance, the current chapter represents a high-stakes bid to reclaim relevance in the AI-driven future.

Analysts and investors alike will continue parsing every partnership announcement, process node update and financial metric. In a sector where technological leadership can shift rapidly, Intel’s recent moves suggest it is no longer content to cede ground — and the market is taking notice.

It comes as the Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art will host its second pop-up exhibition in Wales.

The not-for-profit Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art (AMOCA) will stage its second pop-up exhibition in Cardiff next week as it continues to search for a permanent home to showcase Welsh contemporary artists to the world.

Following the success of its inaugural exhibition in the Marble Hall at the Temple of Peace last summer, which exhibited work from 38 African and African diaspora artists, it is returning to the same venue for its second event. The exhibition, following a private viewing event, will run from April 15 to 18.

AMOCA Dialogues Wales: New Voices from the Museum Collection, will feature more than 40 female and non-binary international artists across painting, sculpture, and material experimentation. Artists featured will include Lynda Benglis, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Elizabeth Peyton, Issy Wood, and Wales-based artist of more than four decades, Shani Rhys James.

Rhys James was born in Melbourne in 1953 to an Australian mother and a Welsh father, moved to the UK as a child, studied at Loughborough and Saint Martin’s in London, and later settled in rural Powys with her husband and young family.

Over the decades, she has become widely regarded as one of Wales’s foremost painters, with major awards including the Gold Medal for Fine Art at the National Eisteddfod, the Jerwood Painting Prize, and an MBE in 2006. Her work is held in leading collections, including National Museum Cardiff.

She said: “I’m who I am, and I’m half Welsh… I chose my Welsh identity, really, by staying in Wales. I paint about mostly quite personal things… It’s a lot to do with feeling… the force of life.”

She is generous about Wales, but unsentimental. Asked about the Welsh art scene, she describes it as lively, exploratory, and often more interesting than outsiders realise. But she is equally clear about the structural problem: visibility. She added: “We don’t have enough press. We don’t have enough critical debate.” Or, more bluntly: We are a bit of a secret, quite frankly.”

AMOCA co-founder is Swedish-born philanthropist and entrepreneur Anders Hedlund. He said: “Shani Rhys James represents an essential part of that story – an artist whose work carries both local depth and universal resonance.”

.Alongside Mr Hedlund, its founding team is a collective of art lovers, curators, and professionals passionate about broadening access to contemporary art. Its privately funded collection includes over 1,000 museum-grade works by world-class contemporary artists.

It is still evaluating a number of property locations in Cardiff for a permanent home to showcase the work of contemporary Welsh artists, with discussions ongoing with Cardiff Council, the Welsh Government, Cardiff University, and private property landlords.

Mr Hedlund said: “Having worked on and built up a collection of art over the past 30 years, it is clear that Wales has some amazing contemporary artists, but sadly many don’t have the exposure that artists in the other home nations have. Auction houses in London often feature Scottish or Irish collections, but I have never seen a Welsh collection.

“That is why we are desperate to find a permanent home to create the first dedicated museum of contemporary art in Wales, and one that would attract visitors from around the world. The museum would promote the work of Welsh painters and artists, while also providing a platform to support young and up-and-coming artists.

“It would also include works from international artists. It is about securing the right building, but we remain confident that a suitable location, whether in the city centre or elsewhere in Cardiff, will be secured shortly. We are open to acquiring a building or renting one to serve our goal of putting Welsh contemporary art on the world stage.”

Mr Hedlund is best known for establishing the global stationery-to-Christmas-cracker venture IG Design Group, which has its UK manufacturing base in Ystrad Mynach.

He also established the Cardiff-based charitable-status school Tomorrow’s Generation, which provides intensive literacy support for children with dyslexia, a condition he himself has been diagnosed with.