China said two of its astronauts spent nine hours outside the Tiangong Space Station. The longest previous spacewalk, by Americans, was eight hours and 56 minutes.
The return to power of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to confront China on tariffs, has created deep uncertainty about the U.S. role in avoiding global conflicts.
The president-elect’s call for Taiwan to spend more on its own defense and his complaints about its semiconductor dominance may herald a tenser relationship.