International

Xi congratulates Trump and calls for a “stable, healthy and sustainable” relationship between China and the United States

The President of China, Xi Jinping, called the winner of the elections in the United States, former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump, to congratulate him and ask him that the relationship between the two powers be “stable, healthy and sustainable.”

“Xi Jinping pointed out that history teaches us that China and the US. The US will benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation. A stable, healthy and sustainable relationship (…) meets the mutual interests of both countries and the expectations of the international community,” says a brief dispatch from the official Xinhua news agency.

Xi: The US and China must “strengthen dialogue”

In the call, Xi asked that both parties “reinforce dialogue and communication” and that “manage their differences appropriately.”

“We hope that both parties defend the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation,” said the Chinese president, who called for “finding the right way for China and the United States to get along in this new era.”

A good relationship between Beijing and Washington, Xi stressed, “will benefit both countries and the world.”

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

In the same information, Xinhua also points out that Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also called the elected Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, although he does not offer details about the conversation between the two.

This morning, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a brief statement that read: “We respect the decision of the American people and congratulate Mr. Trump on his election as president of the United States.”

On Wednesday, before the Republican candidate’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris was certain, Beijing had reaffirmed its position of respect for the US electoral process. USA, which he described as an “internal matter” of the North American country.

China’s policy towards the US is “consistent”

“Our policy towards the United States is consistent. We advocate managing our relationship according to our common interests and cooperation that benefits both parties,” stressed Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, who added that China would act “accordingly” once the results were known.

China and the USA. The US, as the main economies of the world, maintain broad commercial and diplomatic ties, and Beijing has pointed out on several occasions the importance of a constructive dialogue and of avoiding confrontations that affect its citizens, although the tensions between the two powers have been constant for years.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

Even so, Chinese analysts believe that the bilateral relationship, regardless of whether Trump or Harris won, would continue to be marked by protectionist tensions and tariff measures.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated drastically during Trump’s first presidency (2017-2021) with collisions in plans such as commercial, diplomatic or technological and, already with Joe Biden in the White House, the tension was rekindled with rifirrafes on behalf of Taiwan or by restrictions on exports to China of semiconductors and other key technology.

In 2018, after coming to power for the first time, Trump imposed several batches of tariffs on Chinese products worth about 370 billion dollars a year, about three quarters of the Asian giant’s exports, to which Beijing responded with reprisals against US exports.

During this campaign, the Republican said he will apply rates of up to 60% to Chinese goods, which augurs more trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

International

Winter Storm Fern Leaves 30 Dead and Over One Million Without Power Across the U.S.

The massive winter storm Fern, bringing polar temperatures, battered large portions of the United States for a third consecutive day on Monday, leaving at least 30 people dead, more than one million households without electricity, and thousands of flights grounded.

In the Great Lakes region, residents awoke to extreme cold, with temperatures dropping below -20°C. Forecasts indicate that conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days as an Arctic air mass moves south, particularly across the northern Great Plains and other central regions, where wind chills could plunge to -45°C, temperatures capable of causing frostbite within minutes.

Across the country, heavy snowfall exceeding 30 centimeters in roughly 20 states triggered widespread power outages. According to PowerOutage.com, nearly 800,000 customers remained without electricity on Monday morning, most of them in the southern United States.

In Tennessee, where ice brought down power lines, approximately 250,000 customers were still without power. Outages also affected more than 150,000 customers in Mississippi and over 100,000 in Louisiana, as utility crews struggled to restore service amid dangerous conditions.

International

Spain approves plan to regularize up to 500,000 migrants in Historic Shift

In November 2024, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a reform of the country’s immigration regulations aimed at regularizing 300,000 migrants per year over a three-year period, in an effort to counter population aging in a country where births have fallen by 25.6% since 2014, according to official data.

Going against the trend in much of Europe, Spain’s left-wing government has now approved an exceptional migrant regularization plan that could benefit up to 500,000 people, most of them from Latin America.

The measure will allow the regularization of around “half a million people” who have been living in Spain for at least five months, arrived before December 31, 2025, and have no criminal record, Migration Minister Elma Saiz explained on public television.

The plan, approved on Tuesday by the Council of Ministers, establishes that applications will be processed between April and June 30, enabling beneficiaries to work in any sector and anywhere in the country, Saiz said.

“Today is a historic day for our country. We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, and one that is compatible with economic growth and social cohesion,” the minister later stated at a press conference.

20250501_mh_noexigencia_dui_728x90

The socialist government of Pedro Sánchez stands out within the European Union for its migration policy, contrasting with the tightening of immigration measures across much of the bloc amid pressure from far-right movements.

Central America

Honduras swears in conservative president Asfura after disputed election

Conservative politician Nasry Asfura assumed the presidency of Honduras on Tuesday with an agenda closely aligned with the United States, a shift that could strain the country’s relationship with China as he seeks to confront the economic and security challenges facing the poorest and most violent nation in Central America.

Asfura’s rise to power, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the end of four years of left-wing rule and secures Trump another regional ally amid the advance of conservative governments in Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina.

The 67-year-old former mayor and construction businessman was sworn in during an austere ceremony at the National Congress, following a tightly contested election marred by opposition allegations of fraud and Trump’s threat to cut U.S. aid if his preferred candidate did not prevail.

Grateful for Washington’s support, Asfura—who is of Palestinian descent—traveled to the United States to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, before visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We need to strengthen relations with our most important trading partner,” Asfura said after being declared the winner of the November 30 election by a narrow margin, following a tense vote count that lasted just over three weeks.