Korean Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo met with U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and China's vice minister of commerce and international trade negotiator Li Chenggang during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers' meeting in Jeju, where bilateral meetings are being held with 15 countries, including the United States and China.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-05-15/business/economy/On-an-island-trade-ministers-stress-interconnectivity-at-APEC-meeting/2308394A group of international lawyers, including Mark Pieth, Stefan Wehrenberg, and Rodney Dixon, have filed a complaint with FIFA alleging that the organization is failing to uphold its human rights policy in relation to the 2034 World Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia. The complaint highlights widespread human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, which were ignored despite offers from FIFA to advise on human rights compliance. The lawyers claim that no steps are being taken to address these issues before the World Cup, and instead, it appears business as usual.
https://apnews.com/article/fifa-saudi-2034-world-cup-rights-complaint-e3f8c881afe8f4d6c68fd5a4a5450b8dNATO chief Mark Rutte has proposed a plan for member countries to spend at least 3.5% of their GDP on military spending and 1.5% on other security measures, aiming to reach the five-percent goal set by President Trump. Germany's Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil expressed caution, while former senior German military officer Roderich Kiesewetter called it a "paradigm shift". The proposal comes as Germany struggles with a dire state of its armed forces, which have faced shortages and equipment failures in recent years. Chancellor Olaf Scholz increased defense spending after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but the new plan would require significant investment, estimated at over 200 billion euros per year.
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/paradigm-shift-germany-says-to-meet-trumps-nato-spending-target/article_e93271f5-3785-560e-b680-b5f288408457.htmlUS President Trump announced a deal with China to lower tariffs on Chinese goods from 30% to 10%, and the US will also reduce duties on low-value imports, such as those from e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu. The agreement marks a significant de-escalation in trade tensions between the two countries, which had seen tariffs soar as high as 245%. China has agreed to suspend certain non-tariff countermeasures, including measures that barred US entities from receiving items for both civilian and military purposes.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1311697-china-us-slash-sweeping-tariffs-in-trade-war-climbdownRussian negotiators, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and Director of GRU military intelligence agency Igor Kostyukov, met with US President Donald Trump to discuss potential talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump expressed willingness to mediate if Putin attended, saying "I know he would like me to be there, and that's a possibility." However, Zelensky stated that skipping the talks would signal an unwillingness to seek peace and should be met with massive Western sanctions. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged Putin to attend in person, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned of "militarily created facts against Ukraine's will".
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/nation/putin-not-on-kremlin-list-for-ukraine-talks-in-turkey/article_7259bb1e-7a41-58bb-a49d-ab918842519d.htmlUS President Trump has made tariffs a key aspect of his economic and foreign policy, aiming to exert influence over other countries. However, he has repeatedly retreated from these policies, allowing exceptions. Recently, Trump announced an agreement with China, reducing US tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30% and Chinese tariffs on US imports to 10%. This move was made while negotiations continue. According to former White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and CBS correspondent Christina Ruffini's podcast co-host, credibility is a crucial factor in diplomatic talks, as it can make or break the outcome of negotiations.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-china-tariffs-2672019128/The US is facing a "Triffin World" where it acts as both consumer of last resort and global debtor-in-chief, while countries like China flood the world with goods but struggle domestically. This economic order creates a dilemma for the US, which must run deficits to satisfy global demand for safe assets, hollowing out its own economy. In contrast, surplus nations like China avoid necessary reforms at home due to the system's favor towards export-heavy models. The US is now grappling with mounting deficits, political polarization, and industrial decline, while China faces a property crisis and slowing growth, highlighting the limitations of its export-driven model.
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/real-breakthrough-u-s-china-trade-talks-much-bigger-than-just-tariffsChinese President Xi Jinping urged strengthening multilateral coordination and safeguarding common interests with Chile, as he met with Chilean President Boric at the China-CELAC forum. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also attended, emphasizing his country's goal of being an asset to the global multilateral order. The US and China have clashed over the Panama Canal, with the US accusing a Hong Kong company of threatening national security. China has dismissed these claims, while its market regulator is investigating a deal by CK Hutchison to offload ports in 23 countries, including those on the canal.
https://www.jordantimes.com/news/world/colombia-joins-belt-and-road-initiative-china-courts-latin-americaThe US and China have agreed to suspend tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, easing trade tensions between the two nations. Apple CEO Tim Cook had warned of the impact of 145% US tariffs on Chinese products, but expects $900 million in costs despite a temporary reprieve for high-end tech goods. India has threatened retaliatory measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium, with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stating that trade negotiations are ongoing. Apple plans to invest over $500 billion in the US over four years and hire 20,000 people, with President Trump expressing optimism about the increased production.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1311876-trump-demands-apple-to-manufacture-in-us-instead-of-india