U.S., Chinese Officials Cite Progress in Blinken’s Two-Day Visit to Beijing |
The two countries made “progress” toward stabilizing relations (FT), Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing. U.S. President Joe Biden echoed Xi’s comments when speaking to reporters Monday. Blinken held discussions with Chinese officials on Taiwan, the war in Ukraine, and economic relations, though China rebuffed a U.S. request (AP) to resume military-to-military contacts.
Blinken also said that he urged Chinese officials (NYT) to be vigilant that Chinese private companies avoid sending lethal aid to Russia for its war in Ukraine. He said he saw no indication that the Chinese government had sent such aid. |
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“The emphasis on dialogue [during the visit] was a significant departure in tone from Beijing’s previous stance that the blame for the negative state of relations lay entirely with Washington,” the Washington Post’s John Hudson and Meaghan Tobin write.
“It is symptomatic of how bad the relationship has gotten that it’s an achievement to talk, that it is almost a sign of political courage to meet with your counterparts,” Yonsei University’s John Delury tells the Financial Times.
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CFR’s latest Independent Task Force report finds that the United States needs a bolder strategy to protect its vital strategic interests in the Taiwan Strait. |
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Chinese Premier Heads to Germany on First Overseas Trip |
Li Qiang met with German CEOs (Nikkei) yesterday ahead of meetings between Chinese and German government officials today. The visit comes as Germany reviews its China strategy, including the use of equipment made by Chinese firm Huawei in telecommunications infrastructure. |
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Hindustan Times: U.S., India Reach Deal for F414 Jet Engines to Be Made in India |
The United States issued executive approval for the deal ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington this week. It will be the first time the United States shares production of the jets with a country that is not a treaty ally, the Hindustan Times reported. This timeline traces U.S.-India relations.
Nepal: Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain range region melted 65 percent faster (NYT) between 2010 and 2019 than they did during the preceding decade, according to a new report from the Nepal-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development.
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Middle East and North Africa |
France Offers Tunisia More Than Twenty-Five Million Euros to Curb Migrant Boats |
France’s interior minister made the offer (Reuters) during a visit to Tunis yesterday. Earlier this month, the European Union offered Tunisia a separate 105 million euro package to reduce migrant departures.
U.S./Israel: U.S. semiconductor firm Intel will build a new plant in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The move comes as U.S. chipmakers seek to diversify their production beyond East Asia; fellow chip manufacturer Micron is near a deal to set up a semiconductor packaging factory in India, Bloomberg reported.
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International Donors Raise $1.5 Billion for Sudan War |
A Sudan-focused conference yesterday in Geneva raised only half (Bloomberg) of what the United Nations says is necessary to aid the war-torn country. The United Nations estimates twenty-five million people, more than half of Sudan’s population, are in need of aid.
Mali: After Mali’s interim military government called for a UN peacekeeping force to leave the country, the U.S. State Department said the UN drawdown (Reuters) should be “orderly and responsible.” The mission’s mandate expires on June 30.
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New Trial Begins for Jailed Putin Critic Navalny |
Alexei Navalny is already serving nine years in prison, and conviction on additional charges including financing and inciting extremism could add thirty years (NYT) to his prison sentence.
Brussels: The European Commission is due to unveil draft plans (Politico) today to limit European investments in sensitive technologies abroad, citing security concerns. Currently, national governments determine export controls.
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Brazil’s Lula To Meet Pope, French President Macron |
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has begun a trip (MercoPress) to Italy and France. He will discuss the war in Ukraine with Pope Francis and a draft trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur with French President Emmanuel Macron.
This episode of the Why It Matters podcast looks at the Pope’s power as a diplomatic actor.
Honduras: The Honduran National Anti-Corruption Council said its leader fled the country (AP) after receiving threats following the publication of a report on nepotism in the current government.
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Power Outages Grip Southern U.S. Amid High Temperatures |
More than three hundred thousand people in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas were without power (AP) yesterday afternoon after major weekend storms and high temperatures. Some parts of Texas are under excessive heat warnings that are due to continue through at least Wednesday.
This Backgrounder by Anshu Siripurapu and CFR’s James McBride explains how the U.S. power grid works.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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