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"Trump and Xi are both selling pain.  Their people aren't buying."

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May 13, 2025

Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re covering the parallels between the U.S. and China’s attempts to embrace austerity measures, as well as how the demand for critical minerals is fueling regional conflicts.

But first, here’s our take on today’s top story:

U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025 (AP photo by Alex Brandon).

Middle East: U.S. President Donald Trump began his four-day trip to the Middle East today in Saudi Arabia, where he has already met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler. The trip—Trump’s first major overseas visit of his second term—will also include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. (AP)

Our Take: In many ways, this tour parallels the start of Trump’s first term back in 2017, when his first overseas trip as president was to Saudi Arabia. But eight years later, Trump is visiting a very different Middle East, one that has defied expectations from...

	Subscribe to WPR to read our take on today’s top story.

The U.S. and China announced a surprise truce to their trade war after meeting in Geneva over the weekend. The partial and temporary respite gives Washington and Beijing breathing room to continue talks toward resolving their outstanding differences, which include Trump’s hostility to the U.S. trade deficit with China.

While Trump quickly suspended any tariffs above 10 percent on all countries besides China in April, he has also repeatedly signaled to the U.S. population since then that short-term pain is necessary for the long-term changes in the U.S. economy he envisions. As columnist Mary Gallagher writes, Trump’s attempts to make Americans embrace austerity mirror Chinese President Xi Jinping’s own campaign to harden and discipline his population.

Trump and Xi Are Both Selling Pain. Their People Aren’t Buying By Mary Gallagher Trump’s attempts to make Americans embrace austerity mirror Xi’s campaign to harden his population. But neither effort may be politically feasible.

*****

One morning last May, a small band of activists descended on Germany’s largest Apple store in the heart of downtown Berlin. Placards in hand, they conducted a noisy but peaceful demonstration to denounce labor rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo related to the mining of cobalt required for manufacturing iPhones.

This protest and others like it underline how the race to secure the raw materials for the tech and renewable energy revolutions—known as critical minerals—is fueling human rights abuses, regional conflict and environmental degradation around the world, John Boyce writes.

The Critical Minerals Fueling Green Tech Are Also Fueling Conflict By John Boyce As the insatiable demand for critical minerals fuels conflicts around the world, the EU is failing to enforce its own law trying to prevent that.

Question of the Day: What is the name of the political movement in Iran that was ignited by the nationwide protests of 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody?

My Stealthy Freedom Constitutional Revolution September Revolution Woman, Life, Freedom

Find the answer in the latest WPR Weekly Quiz, then read Fariba Parsa’s briefing on the role of women in Iran’s pro-democracy movement.

In the Philippines’ midterm elections yesterday, allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appear to have fared less well than expected. Meanwhile, former President Rodrigo Duterte—who is currently detained by the ICC and charged for crimes against humanity—was elected mayor in his home city of Davao.

The elections served in part as a proxy war between the Philippines’ two most powerful political dynasties: the Marcos and the Dutertes. As Richard Javad Heydarian wrote last year, their feud, which has reached a boiling point in recent years, is in many ways a reflection of the growing U.S.-China competition in the region.

The Marcos-Duterte Family Feud Is Heating Up in the Philippines By Richard Javad Heydarian Feb. 27, 2024 | The Marcos-Duterte feud in the Philippines has reached a boiling point, reflecting the role U.S.-China competition plays in the country.

*****

Illegal overfishing and destructive practices by foreign vessels is decimating stocks of fish off the coast of Senegal, the London-based NGO Environmental Justice Foundation said in a new report. The dwindling fish population, also connected to climate change, is in turn leading to income loss among fishermen and fueling migration to Spain.

The Senegalese fishermen’s troubles are further compounded by new oil and gas developments that have closed off large zones from fishing. As Jessica Moody wrote in 2023, while the oil and gas projects have been framed as an economic boon for Senegal, they also threaten to destroy not only the livelihoods of fishermen, but also a vital part of the country’s economy.

An Offshore Energy Bonanza Spells Doom for Senegal’s Fishermen By Jessica Moody Jan. 10, 2023 | Oil and gas reserves found off the coast were hailed as a miracle for Senegal’s economy. The country’s fishing industry isn’t so sure.

*****

France’s development agency said it would invest more than $160 million in Western Sahara in 2025 and 2026, a move that comes after Paris formally recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory last year. As Sarah Leah Whitson wrote in September, the change in recognition erodes one of the most fundamental tenets of the rules-based international order: the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force.

*****

An al-Qaida-aligned group claimed responsibility for an attack on several locations in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday that killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers. Burkina Faso’s military junta, which took power in 2022, has used heavy-handed tactics against jihadist groups as well as civilians, a strategy that has only worsened the country’s security crisis. And as Daniel Eizenga wrote last year, in an effort to stave off a popular backlash, the junta’s rule has descended into more repressive authoritarianism.

More from WPR

James Bosworth on Trump’s “deportation theater.” Ezzat Khairi on misconceptions about Sudan’s civil war. Paul Poast on who should get credit for winning WWII. Fariba Parsa on women’s role in Iran’s pro-democracy movement.

Read all of our latest coverage here.

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