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.”
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.
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.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
International
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
The United States Department of State announced sanctions on Thursday against 23 individuals and companies allegedly linked to an international fentanyl production and smuggling network operating in India, Guatemala and Mexico.
According to the State Department, the network supplied precursor chemicals to the Sinaloa Cartel, which the United States has designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Washington declared fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, a weapon of mass destruction last year due to its role in the ongoing overdose crisis in the United States.
“By targeting the entire supply chain — from chemical suppliers in Asia to logistical intermediaries in Central America and cartel-linked networks in Mexico — the Trump Administration is dismantling networks that destabilize governance across our hemisphere and threaten U.S. security,” the State Department said.
In a separate statement, the Office of Foreign Assets Control detailed sanctions against three Indian chemical and pharmaceutical companies: Sutaria, Agrat and SR Chemicals, along with a sales executive accused of supplying precursor chemicals to contacts in Guatemala and Mexico.
In Guatemala, authorities sanctioned J and C Import and Central Logística de Servicios, as well as intermediary Jaime Augusto Barrientos.
The OFAC also designated several intermediaries and import companies operating in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
As part of the investigation, U.S. authorities identified Ramiro Baltazar Félix as a member of Los Mayos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Alejandro Reynoso, accused of operating clandestine drug laboratories in Guadalajara.
International
Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect
Pope Leo XIV said Thursday that migrants must be treated with dignity as he addressed the global migration crisis during a press conference aboard the plane returning from his tour of Africa.
The pontiff answered questions from journalists regarding his upcoming trip to Spain, which will include a visit to the Canary Islands, a region heavily affected by migration flows and growing political polarization surrounding the issue.
“Obviously, migration is a very complex issue and affects many countries — not only Spain, not only Europe, but also the United States. It is a global phenomenon,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV also questioned the role of developed nations in addressing the crisis.
“My response begins with a question: What is the Global North doing to help the Global South and those countries where young people no longer see a future and dream of going north, even when the North sometimes has no answers to offer?” he asked.
While acknowledging that “a state has the right to establish rules for its borders,” the pope insisted that the debate must go beyond border control and address the structural causes that force people to leave their home countries.
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
U.S. Sanctions Network Linked to Fentanyl Trafficking Across India, Guatemala and Mexico
Pope Leo XIV Says Countries Have Border Rights but Migrants Deserve Respect
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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