Chinese Defense Minister Expected to Be Removed Amid Reported Corruption Probe |
Li Shangfu will likely be removed from his position after a two-week absence from public events, U.S. and Chinese officials told the Washington Post. While one unnamed Chinese official cited “health issues” as the reason for Li’s imminent dismissal, unnamed U.S. officials and sources in China’s defense industry said they believe Li is being investigated for corruption.
The potential shakeup comes after China’s former foreign minister and two top generals overseeing missiles and nuclear weapons were removed in July (FT). China is also struggling to steady its economy after a growth slowdown in recent months. Li was one of China’s high-level officials tapped to form China’s leadership cabinet this year. The growing list of officials being removed in President Xi Jinping’s administration raises questions about the effectiveness of the anticorruption campaign he launched in office against China’s armed forces.
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“It seems like there’s a lot of churn and instability in who’s representing and speaking for China on the world stage,” the University of Texas at Austin’s Sheena Chestnut Greitens tells the Washington Post. “As China’s whole system has become more and more opaque and as powers become personalized under Xi Jinping, that makes it harder for outside interlocutors to know where China’s foreign policy is going to go.”
“It would be remarkable that in year 11 of Xi being in charge of the [People’s Liberation Army] there is still such high-level corruption, and for the Rocket Force officers and Li Shangfu, Xi can not blame his predecessors,” analyst Bill Bishop wrote.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Ian Johnson explained why the removal of China’s foreign minister represented a setback for Xi.
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Thailand’s Pita Resigns as Leader of Largest Opposition Party |
Pita Limjaroenrat said today that he cannot lead (Nikkei) the Move Forward party because he is no longer a member of parliament—which Thailand’s constitution specifies a party leader must be. He failed to gather enough votes to secure a prime ministerial election held among lawmakers, and a court suspended Pita’s status as a lawmaker soon after.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick explains what happened in Thailand’s recent vote.
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Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Crossing Reopens After Closing Over Cross Fire |
The Torkham border crossing had been closed for nine days (Al Jazeera) after security forces from both countries exchanged fire. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban government have been tense due to Pakistani allegations that Afghanistan is supporting the Pakistani Taliban.
Bangladesh: A court sentenced two prominent human rights activists (NYT) to two years in prison on misinformation charges yesterday. More than thirty international human rights organizations called the sentence political retaliation for their work, which includes tracking extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Travel to Saudi Arabia for Peace Talks |
The visit by the Iran-backed rebels comes as a UN-brokered cease-fire in Yemen’s civil war largely holds and after Iran and Saudi Arabia announced a surprise rapprochement in March. A Houthi official said the rebel delegation would be in Riyadh (AFP) for five days.
Iraq/Syria: Iraq is ramping up the repatriation of its citizens from the al-Hol refugee camp in northeastern Syria. More than five thousand Iraqis have been repatriated since January and more are due in the coming weeks, an Iraqi official told the Associated Press. He urged other countries to do the same, warning that the camp was a security threat.
This In Brief by CFR’s Kali Robinson unpacks the struggle to repatriate al-Hol’s detainees after defeating the Islamic State. |
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CFR’s Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins discuss the anniversary of Iranian Mahsa Amini's death, UNGA meetings on climate, Cuba arresting Russian recruiters, and more. |
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China, Zambia Upgrade Ties |
In Beijing, the presidents of the two countries upgraded bilateral ties (Reuters) to a “comprehensive strategic cooperation partnership.” Zambia has sought to restructure its debt with China; it was not immediately clear if any deals regarding debt resulted from the visit, but they agreed to expand cooperation on agriculture, infrastructure, and mining and energy.
Niger/France: Niger’s government released a French official (AFP, Le Monde) who had been detained in the country after its July coup, the French government said.
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ICC Opens Field Office in Ukraine to Track Potential Russian War Crimes |
The International Criminal Court (ICC) said its new field office (RFE/RL) in Kyiv is its largest outside of the Hague. It cited reports that more than 104,000 war crimes have been committed during Russia’s war in Ukraine. This Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and CFR’s Mariel Ferragamo highlights the role of the ICC.
U.S./Russia: New U.S. sanctions on companies accused of helping Russia avoid sanctions over its aggression in Ukraine hit five firms and one individual (Reuters) in Turkey, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally. The sanctions target shipping and trade companies accused of servicing sanctioned Russian vessels.
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First Man Sentenced for Storming of Brazilian Capital Gets Seventeen Years |
Brazil’s Supreme Court has begun trying supporters (AP) of former President Jair Bolsonaro who stormed the seat of government in January after refusing to accept Bolsonaro’s defeat in last year’s presidential election. Aécio Lúcio Costa Pereira was filmed in Brazil’s senate calling for a military coup and was sentenced on charges including violently attacking the rule of law and destruction of public assets.
U.S./Colombia: Though Colombia announced a deal with the United States to prevent unauthorized northward migration earlier this year, national officials in Colombia are largely taking a hands-off approach to the migrant flow, while local officials are abetting it, the New York Times reported. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he opposed physical barriers to migration and favored addressing its social causes.
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Auto Workers Begin Strike Against ‘Big Three’ U.S. Carmakers |
Members of the United Auto Workers union began a strike (CNN) today at plants owned by Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio after failing to reach a deal on their new contract. The strike reflects rising labor militancy (FT) in the United States and tensions over technological changes in the auto sector amid the transition to electric vehicles.
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Der Spiegel visits the dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir to examine how Ukrainians’ lives have changed following Russia’s attack on the Dnieper River dam that held it back. |
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