Chinese President Xi Jinping told Pedro Sánchez this Tuesday that both China and Spain "are on the right side of history". He stated this at the beginning of the meeting the two held in Beijing as part of the Spanish president's official visit. Alluding to conflicts such as the one in Iran, Xi argued that the two countries agree on the defense of international law, which he said has been "gravely undermined", and urged the socialist leader to join efforts against the "law of the jungle" and in favor of peace and multilateralism.

Keir Starmer arrives in China in the next few hours, on the first trip of a premier British Prime Minister since 2018, with the aim of reviving political and economic relations with Beijing after a long period of diplomatic strain. In addition to Beijing, Starmer will also visit Shanghai and, briefly, Japan. Downing Street's diplomatic offensive comes eleven days after the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney...also breaking years of silence with Xi Jinping, established a preliminary trade agreement, considered historic.

After nearly a decade of strained relations due to trade disputes and diplomatic clashes, China and Canada have announced a "new strategic partnership" driven by Donald Trump's major tariff pressuresDuring his state visit to Beijing, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney advocated for a new relationship "adapted to the new global realities." This is a way of acknowledging that Donald Trump's trade war is forcing Canada to seek new markets, including in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping supported the "healthy and stable development" of China-Canada relations, which will benefit both countries and also "global stability and prosperity." The two leaders championed multilateralism. From the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing Square, they declared a new stage of collaboration and a commitment to overcome their past conflicts. These positive words have a direct commercial impact. For its part, China will reduce tariffs on Canadian canola seeds. For now, this is the most visible aspect of the agreement, which aims to increase trade and reduce, or in some cases eliminate, bureaucratic barriers. Previous tensions.

Mark Carney's visit is the first by a Canadian head of government since Justin Trudeau's in December 2017. At that time, relations between the two countries were good, but they deteriorated rapidly when Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive and daughter of the company's founder. The arrest was made on a US warrant when Meng stopped over in Canada, where she held several residences. China responded by arresting two Canadians in the People's Republic—Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor—accusing them of espionage. Tensions escalated with reciprocal sanctions until 2021, when diplomatic mediation secured the simultaneous release of all three. However, in 2023, Canadian intelligence expelled a Chinese diplomat and accused Beijing of attempting to interfere in the general elections. Canada has a large Chinese immigrant community and has also been the destination for many dissidents and residents of Hong Kong who sought refuge after the curtailment of freedoms in the former British colony. In 2024, the disagreement became commercial, resulting in a tariff dispute: Canada penalized Chinese electric vehicles and steel, and Beijing responded with increased tariffs on Canadian canola, pork, and seafood.

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Without excuses and without subterfuge. One thing one can thank Donald Trump for is that he's upfront and doesn't hide his intentions. At the beginning of his term, he stormed into the US administration itself to install his own people and get rid of anyone who bothered him; then he dismantled the entire system of foreign aid, like USAID, and raided universities and research centers to impose his ideology against social rights; he has transformed immigration police into a paramilitary group for social control to internally impose the white supremacy of his followers, and now he is intervening directly on the international stage, demanding tributes, in the form of tariffs, worldwide, and claiming the territories he believes belong to him to secure his power. In his view, the entire Western Hemisphere, that is, half the world, is his. And he must surely find a gesture of generosity in allowing the other hemisphere to be divided up, primarily, by the Chinese and the Russians.

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The fact that the contempt with which the President of the United States refers to Europe is insulting, and that Donald Trump is a product of the speculative jungle, does not negate the need to ask ourselves if he is right in any of his statements. This is not out of a desire for self-flagellation, but rather to break free from the complacency that we Europeans will pay dearly for.

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King Felipe VI and Chinese President Xi Jinping met this Wednesday in Beijing on the second day of the monarch's official visit to China. The leader of the Asian giant received the Spanish head of state at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, a venue reserved for high-level events and visits. During the meeting, which took place against the backdrop of a trade war, President Xi highlighted the "friendly cooperation" between his country and Spain, while Felipe VI emphasized the "relationship of trust" between the two nations. This visit by Felipe VI is his first to China since ascending the throne, but it follows the path already forged by Pedro Sánchez and Salvador Illa in building alliances with that country. The tone of the meeting was cordial, expressing mutual respect and even a friendly atmosphere. Xi Jinping has described King Felipe VI as "a good friend of the Chinese people" and indicated that China is willing to work with Spain to build a "comprehensive strategic partnership" that is "steadier in its direction" and will allow it to "contribute even more significantly to the prosperity, peace, and development of the world." These statements would suggest that the Asian giant is engaged in a tariff escalation in which Spain is also involved, through the European Commission in recent years. has applied tariffs to electric cars manufactured in ChinaRates at which The Asian giant responded this September with the announcement of tariffs on European pork.Spain is the world's leading supplier of pork to China. Despite this context, Xi Jinping emphasized that Spain and China have contributed together "to upholding international fairness and justice," and King Felipe VI affirmed that "the friendship" between the two countries "benefits both peoples." In this atmosphere, and after a meeting lasting more than an hour, the delegations from each country signed ten documents intended to strengthen bilateral relations, including three memoranda of understanding, three protocols, a convention, an agreement, and a declaration. Among these documents, the agreement to establish a "one-stop shop" to expedite procedures for Spanish companies doing business in China stands out. The King and Queen's official agenda in China began on Tuesday and will continue until Thursday. Yesterday, the monarchs visited the city of Chengdu, where King Felipe VI presided over a business forum. The visit, held to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership—a series of alliances and agreements between Spain and China—will conclude this Thursday with, among other events, the meeting of the Spain-China Business Advisory Council in Beijing, which will be chaired by the monarch.

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Among the powerful, there is open talk of defeating aging. Stopping the clock to reinforce established hierarchies and living as if life itself had no biological limits. The will to exist in capital letters, to never leave, the self taken to the extreme that defies even death. This is the context. The conversation between Xi and Putin, captured in Tiananmen Square by an open microphone, in which they were encouraged to live forever, or at least one hundred and fifty years, through organ transplants. Reality increasingly resembles a dystopian B-movie. But the megalomania associated with longevity—a euphemism often used to avoid saying immortalityLongevity is not exclusive to autocrats, but a distinctive status symbol that is beginning to outweigh money among the rich and powerful everywhere. This longevity is clearly not purchased to make selfless contributions to society, but rather, in most cases, serves to continue enjoying the adrenaline rush of power, fame, and victory over all others. sine die at the top of the pyramid.

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China announced Wednesday that it is suspending for one year the 24% "additional tariff" it had imposed on goods imported from the United States, a decision that falls within the framework of the trade agreements reached last week by the presidents of both countries, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. In this regard, the Chinese government's tariff commission stated in a press release that the suspension of the tariff aims to "implement the results and consensus reached in the economic and trade consultations between China and the United States." The measure will take effect on November 10, and until then, an additional 10% tariff will remain in place on certain US products entering Chinese territory, although Beijing did not specify which ones.

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US President Donald Trump has once again placed Asia at the center of his diplomatic and trade agenda with a tour that began Sunday in Malaysia, continues in Japan, and is expected to culminate Thursday with a high-level meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip seeks to strengthen political and economic ties between the United States and its main allies in the region while redefining the balance of power in the face of the increasingly visible rise of China. Until now, the Asia-Pacific had taken a backseat to Trump's foreign policy, which had focused more on other hot spots such as Ukraine and Palestine.

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On Friday morning, half the world breathed a sigh, not only because Donald Trump hadn't won his coveted Nobel Peace Prize, but also because the winner was close to him, and therefore his potential anger was partly appeased. In fact, María Corina Machado, being cautious, called him to tell him that he deserved it more than her and that she dedicated it to him. Trump boasts of having stopped eight conflicts, which isn't entirely true, and on Monday he will be in Jerusalem and also in Sharm al-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort where the peace agreement will be signed, to receive all the tributes he so desires. However, the question is whether this will be enough to satisfy his ego and, if not, what he will do. For now, his unpredictability continues in all areas, and the unknowns remain.

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US President Donald Trump has decided to reignite the trade war with China. This Friday, he announced that he will impose 100% tariffs on the Asian giant starting November 1st. This is his response to Beijing's recent actions, which include more controls on the export of rare earths. According to the Republican leader, these are "very hostile" initiatives, and for this reason, he has even questioned the opportunity to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month, as planned.

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After four extensions of the legal deadline to ban TikTok or force its Chinese owners to divest, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order making the app US property. The announcement comes after years of diplomatic wrangling, bureaucratic maneuvering, repeated efforts by federal and state governments to restrict the platform, and even a ruling by the US Supreme Court. Has the fate of America's most viral social media app finally been decided? Those expecting a shutdown will be disappointed. This latest "framework consensus" still leaves China with significant influence over TikTok. What looks like a victory for the US may be Chinese President Xi Jinping's greatest strategic triumph.

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A banal conversation captured by an open microphone as Russian, Chinese, and Korean leaders walked toward the Asian leaders' summit has once again raised the possibility of extending human longevity to 150 years thanks to biotechnological advances such as organ transplants to rejuvenate the body. Because, evidently, they weren't talking about prolonging life with ailments and a fragile body; what the dignitaries were really proposing was obtaining the elixir of eternal youth. But is this possible within the remaining lifespan of these politicians, some of whom are already over 70? Spoiler: the fact is, no, neither Putin nor Xi Jinping will live to 150 years.

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A few days ago, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit held in the Chinese city of Tianjin, a recording of a casual conversation between Xi Jinping (who acted as the all-powerful host of the meeting) and Vladimir Putin (who was anything but) emerged. As they led a procession through the Forbidden City, the two leaders—both tyrants—engaged in a relaxed conversation about advances in science and medicine in the fight against aging, physical decline, and death. "It used to be rare for people to live past seventy; now, however, they say that at seventy, you are still a child," Xi said. Putin responded: "Human organs can be transplanted continuously; the longer you live, the younger you get. You can even achieve immortality." Xi Jinping concluded the conversation: "Some predict that, in this century, humans will be able to live up to one hundred and fifty years." They said it, after all, with happy, genuinely enthusiastic faces.

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This week, the presidents of China and Russia have speculated about the possibility of living to 150. I've been reading articles on the subject because, I confess, I'm interested. The articles I've read that prompted the conversation between Putin and Xi Jinping focus on whether this will be biologically possible: organs; cell therapies; how to stop aging. Even how to stimulate bone marrow to generate antibodies that keep us younger.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has deployed diplomatic influence and military power this week to challenge the West and establish himself as the leader of a new world order. In a carefully planned setting with events choreographed down to the last detail, Xi has presented himself as a counterweight to the United States with ease.

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We don't know how it will all end, but in case historians ever wonder if humans in 2025 didn't see the alarming course events were taking, the answer is that we did. How could we not see it, if it was happening during the day and right under our noses?

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Over the past three days, the presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, have spent a lot of time and conversations together. They have not only discussed geopolitics, but this Wednesday they were also heard talking about more philosophical issues such as the immortality of humans. A background microphone captured the conversation as they headed to the podium to attend the the military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

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China has dealt the first major defeat to the United States in the tariff war initiated by Donald Trump. The blow has come at the agricultural level, with soybeans taking center stage. The Asian superpower has decided to turn to another ally to replace the legume grown in the American region of the MidwestThis is Brazil, the country of origin for 25% of China's agricultural imports, with which it shares multilateralism within the BRICS and an interconnected global economic vision. The good rapport between the two countries is demonstrated by the fluid, mutually supportive relationship between their top leaders, Xi Jinping and Lula da Silva.

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Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the strength of their alliance during their bilateral meeting in Beijing on Tuesday. Both leaders reached energy agreements and aimed to increase economic cooperation, but above all, they exchanged words of trust. Putin asserted that relations are at an "unprecedented level," and Xi declared his willingness to "strengthen exchanges." The signing of the memorandum for the construction of the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline marked a new strategic shift in relations between the two countries, which, in practice, represents a deepening of ties that had already been strengthened by Western sanctions on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

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