U.S.-China Tensions Set to Dominate Asian Security Summit |
Diplomats and military officials are weighing the dynamics (NPR) of an arms buildup in the Pacific region at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, which began today in Singapore. Ahead of the summit, China’s defense minister, who has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018, turned down a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened the event with a speech in which he called for diplomacy (The Conversation) to preserve regional stability and praised U.S. efforts to establish a “reliable and open” channel of communication with China.
Singapore and China agreed to establish a high-level hotline (Bloomberg) for military communications. Meanwhile, European officials are expected to urge other attendees to take a stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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“Few Indo-Pacific countries assess the choice in front of them [over how to respond to U.S.-China tensions] in dichotomous terms,” the Stimson Center’s Kelly A. Grieco and the Carnegie Endowment’s Jennifer Kavanagh write in Foreign Policy. “Multi-alignment—when states form overlapping relationships with several major powers—is not a back-up option for these states but their first choice.”
“Whether [Southeast Asia] can maintain its position is an open question. If tensions between Beijing and Washington lead to a military conflict, the area’s countries could find themselves under intense pressure to pick sides,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Huong Le Thu writes in Foreign Affairs.
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Japan to Increase Funding to Boost Falling Birth Rate |
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said the country planned to spend (Bloomberg) around $25 billion on the initiative, which would raise government spending per child on families to the level of Sweden to help bolster the country’s sliding birth rate. He has yet to explain how the government will fund this plan. |
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Indian Opposition Leader Criticizes Modi During Visit to Washington |
Rahul Gandhi, a former member of Parliament, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undermining India’s democratic institutions (Bloomberg) in a speech in Washington yesterday. U.S. President Joe Biden is set to host Modi for a state dinner later this month.
Pakistan: Prominent human rights activist Jibran Nasir was abducted (Dawn) yesterday, his wife said. Nasir has criticized the government crackdown on former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party and the decision to try protesters under military law.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Lebanese Military Court Charges Men for Killing UN Peacekeeper |
An unnamed senior judicial official said the five men who committed the killing last December were linked (AP) to the militant group Hezbollah. One of the five men is in custody, while the other four remain at large.
This Backgrounder by CFR’s Kali Robinson looks at Hezbollah.
Jordan/Saudi Arabia: The heir to the throne of Jordan married a woman (CNN) related to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday in Jordan’s capital, Amman. Ties between the two countries have recently thawed.
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CFR’s Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins discuss an AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal, the Shangri-La Dialogue, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s Nordic tour, and more. |
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Nine Die in Clashes After Senegal Opposition Leader’s Sentencing |
Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko received a two-year sentence (FT) for “corrupting youth” that could threaten his ability to run for president next year. After intense protests broke out, the government blocked access to social media sites that it said were being used to incite violence.
U.S./Sudan: The United States sanctioned parties from both warring sides (AFP) in Sudan’s conflict yesterday after they broke a previously negotiated cease-fire.
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Reuters: U.S. To Offer Deal With Russia on Nuclear Arms Curbs Through 2026 |
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to offer in a speech today (Reuters) for the United States to abide by the New START nuclear arms treaty’s limits until its 2026 expiration if Russia agrees to do the same. Russia suspended its participation in the treaty in February. This timeline traces the history of U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control.
U.S./Ukraine: The U.S. military acknowledged it is paying SpaceX (WaPo) for Starlink satellite internet access in Ukraine, but did not disclose the amount. U.S. defense officials previously estimated that the annual cost of the service, which SpaceX had been donating toward, was hundreds of millions of dollars.
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U.S. Says Migrant Processing Centers to Open in Guatemala |
The new centers will open on June 12 to provide appointments (Al Jazeera) for temporary work permits, family reunification, and other legal pathways to the United States to reduce crowding at the U.S.-Mexico border. The White House did not say where in Guatemala the centers will be located.
U.S./Mexico: Mexico accepted a U.S. trade request to monitor alleged labor violations (Reuters) at a Goodyear tire plant in San Luis Potosí state. Mexico’s labor ministry now has thirty-five days to investigate and make a decision.
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Senate Passes Deal to Suspend Debt Limit |
President Biden said he will sign the deal (NYT), which was negotiated ahead of a June 5 deadline by which the United States would default on its debt without action from Congress.
This Backgrounder by CFR’s Noah Berman details what happens when the U.S. hits its debt ceiling.
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The New York Times looks at how the LGBTQ+ population became a target in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s campaign for reelection, and explores the community’s reactions following the election results. |
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