News from April 21, 2025 at 2 PM

China's Ministry of Commerce warned on Monday that it will retaliate against countries that cooperate with the U.S. in ways that harm Beijing's interests. The Trump administration is reportedly planning to use tariff negotiations to pressure U.S. partners to limit their dealings with China. Trump paused major tariff increases on other countries for 90 days but raised duties on Chinese goods to 145%. China has retaliated with 125% tariffs on U.S. imports, restricted critical mineral exports, and blacklisted several U.S. companies. Analysts do not expect a U.S.-China deal soon, though Trump anticipates an agreement in the next three to four weeks. Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, calling for joint efforts against tariffs and unilateral bullying. Since Trump's initial tariffs, China has increased trade with Southeast Asia, now its largest regional trading partner.

On April 10, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth used his personal phone to send information about U.S. military operations in Yemen to a 13-person Signal group chat, including his wife and brother, despite a prior warning from an aide about sharing sensitive information on an unsecure platform. This development follows the revelation a month ago that Hegseth shared details of Yemen strikes in another Signal chat, mistakenly including The Atlantic's editor-in-chief. The New York Times first reported the existence of the second chat. Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell denied that classified information was shared, and White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly downplayed the significance of the incident. The Defense Department's inspector general is currently investigating the matter.

According to the Health Ministry of the Houthi government, US airstrikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa resulted in at least 12 deaths and 30 injuries. The attack targeted a market in the Forwa neighborhood, with preliminary data indicating the death toll has risen to 12, and another 30 people were wounded. Rescue teams continue to search for victims under the rubble, and the number of casualties may rise. Significant damage was inflicted on residential buildings and market outlets in the area. Earlier, the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel reported that US aircraft conducted several strikes on various parts of Sanaa and also hit the Saada province in the northwest of the country.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele proposed a prisoner swap with Venezuela on Sunday, offering to exchange 252 Venezuelans deported from the United States and held by his government for an identical number of political prisoners in Venezuela. In a social media post directed at Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Bukele listed several detained family members of high-level opposition figures, journalists, and activists, accusing Maduro of imprisoning them for opposing his electoral fraud. Bukele stated he would instruct El Salvador's foreign ministry to contact the Maduro government. This proposal comes amid international scrutiny over El Salvador's acceptance of deportees from the Trump administration, who are detained in a 'mega-prison' known as the Terrorism Confinement Center. Despite the controversy, Bukele insisted that all detainees are part of an anti-gang operation.

US Vice-President JD Vance has arrived in Delhi, India, to hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on expediting a bilateral trade deal. Vance is also scheduled to visit Agra and Jaipur with his family. The visit comes amid global trade tensions, with Trump imposing steep reciprocal tariffs on several countries. India has already reduced tariffs on some US goods. The bilateral trade between the US and India stands at $190 billion, with India enjoying a $45 billion trade surplus. Vance's tour is seen as a precursor to Trump's expected visit to India later this year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that the Palestinian movement Hamas has once again rejected a deal to free some hostages, emphasizing that Israel will not end the war in the Gaza Strip until all kidnapped individuals are returned and Hamas' threat is completely eliminated. Netanyahu, in a national address, said the war will only end once Hamas in Gaza is destroyed, all hostages are returned, and the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to Israel. At the end of the week, Palestinian radicals rejected a proposal that would have released half of the living hostages in Gaza and returned the bodies of several deceased hostages. Netanyahu noted that Hamas demands an end to the war while preserving its power, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the restoration of Gaza with investments allowing it to rearm and prepare new attacks. Ending the war under these terms of capitulation would signal to all of Israel's enemies that kidnapping Israelis can bring the State of Israel to its knees. On March 18, Israel resumed strikes on the Gaza Strip due to Hamas' refusal to accept the US plan to extend the ceasefire, which expired on March 1. Israel cut off electricity to a desalination plant in the Gaza Strip and blocked entry to trucks carrying humanitarian aid.

South Korea's customs agency said on Monday it has uncovered increased attempts to disguise foreign products, mainly from China, as Korean exports to evade U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. The Korea Customs Service found violations worth 29.5 billion won ($20.81 million) in the first quarter, with 97% destined for the U.S., compared to 34.8 billion won for all of last year, of which 62% were U.S.-bound. Trump, who imposed significant tariffs since taking office in January, including on China from February, has prompted a rise in such disguised exports. Anticipating increased risks, South Korean authorities conducted a preemptive investigation. On Monday, South Korean customs officials met with U.S. officials to discuss joint investigative efforts. South Korean officials noted that foreign companies, particularly from China, might use South Korea as a bypass to avoid tariffs. This month, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on South Korea, later suspended for three months, while U.S. tariffs on China now stand at 145%. The uncovered violations include 3.3 billion won worth of cathode materials for batteries and 19.3 billion won worth of surveillance cameras. The Korea Customs Service has launched a special task force to prevent illegal exports and plans to refer the violations to prosecutors.

Senior researcher Nazarov of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that the lack of coherence and transparency in US trade policy is a major cause of the current high uncertainty in the global economy. This uncertainty is affecting business decisions and weakening global investment activity, hindering economic recovery. The US's arbitrary imposition of tariffs has triggered a series of negative effects, including increased production costs, decreased consumer confidence, and heightened market volatility. Nazarov expressed concern that the rising unilateralism of the US is undermining multilateral cooperation mechanisms and called for major economies to strengthen multilateral dialogue and cooperation to uphold international economic and trade rules.