U.S., Chinese Officials Hold Military Talks at Pentagon After Hiatus |
The two-day meeting that wrapped yesterday marked the resumption (Reuters) of senior military-to-military talks between the countries that were frozen in 2022 amid a period of high bilateral tensions. Beijing and Washington are experiencing a slight thaw in ties after the two countries’ leaders agreed to resume talks late last year; U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Michael Chase said the United States stressed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication.
The talks also addressed (Bloomberg) “repeated [Chinese] harassment against lawfully operating Philippine vessels in the South China Sea,” Chase said, while China’s defense minister said Beijing is willing to pursue healthy and stable military ties based on respect. China urged the United States to reduce its own “provocative actions” in the South China Sea and respect the One China policy that considers Taiwan a part of China. The talks came ahead of Taiwan’s presidential and parliamentary elections this Saturday, and U.S.-China maritime consultations slated for the spring.
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“The lack of communication between military leaders from the two countries stoked fears of military miscalculation in the Indo-Pacific region, where China is flexing its naval muscles in the South China Sea, sending ships to harass the Philippine navy, and fighter planes to trail and buzz American surveillance planes in the region,” Politico’s Paul McLeary writes.
“The US goal is to have more sustained engagement with the People’s Liberation Army to reduce the risk of accident, avoid misperceptions, and strengthen crisis communications,” the German Marshall Fund’s Bonnie Glaser tells the Financial Times.
Chinese Minister Liu Jianchao of the Chinese Communist Party’s International Department discussed the future of U.S.-China relations at this meeting hosted by CFR President Michael Froman yesterday.
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Indonesia, Philippines Discuss Energy Ties, South China Sea Approach |
The leaders of the two countries signed (Reuters) a memorandum of understanding to deepen energy cooperation at a bilateral summit in Manila today. They also discussed security concerns regarding the South China Sea and how to strengthen relations between Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries (ASEAN), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
This Backgrounder explains ASEAN’s goals and challenges.
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Indian Firms Pledge Nearly $30 Billion of Investments in Western State |
Maruti Suzuki and Adani announced plans (Reuters) to build a car plant and renewable energy infrastructure that together total nearly $30 billion in investment in the state of Gujarat, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to grow as a tech hub. Modi spoke at a summit today designed to attract investments in chips and electric vehicle manufacturing.
Azerbaijan/France: Azerbaijani authorities arrested (Le Monde, AFP) a French man on espionage charges in December, Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Paris said yesterday. Tensions between Baku and Paris have run high in recent months as Azerbaijan has accused France of excessive support for Armenia.
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Middle East and North Africa |
U.S., UK Forces Shoot Down Twenty-One Houthi Drones, Missiles in Red Sea |
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched (CNN) a barrage of missiles and drones into areas where merchant ships were traveling yesterday, and U.S. and United Kingdom (UK) forces shot down eighteen attack drones and three missiles, U.S. Central Command said. It reiterated that Houthis “will bear the responsibility” of continued disruptions in the waterway.
This In Brief by CFR’s Noah Berman unpacks how Houthi attacks threaten global shipping.
Israel/Palestinian territories: Planet-warming emissions from the first two months of war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas surpassed (The Guardian) the annual total of twenty countries and territories, a group of researchers from the United States and UK found in a new study [PDF]. The group said the estimate was conservative and called for mandatory military emissions reporting.
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DRC Court Certifies Results of Vote That Reelected President |
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) constitutional court certified (AFP) President Félix Tshisekedi’s election victory on December 20 with 73.5 percent of votes, despite nine opposition candidates calling the election a “sham” and asking for a re-run.
Morocco/South Africa: A Moroccan candidate defeated (Reuters) a South African candidate today in a 30–17 vote for presidency of the UN Human Rights Council, a mostly symbolic position. The contest was a rare public disagreement between African countries that usually act as a bloc in the forum. South Africa said that Morocco’s human rights record made it unfit for the position, while Morocco accused South Africa of undermining its run for the seat.
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NATO Hosts Meeting of Ukraine Council |
Envoys from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries are meeting (Politico) in Brussels today to discuss their continued support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said ahead of the meeting that Kyiv sought additional Western air defense systems.
Norway: Oslo passed a bill (BBC) yesterday approving commercial-scale deep-sea mining in national waters larger than the size of the UK. It is the first country in the world to greenlight the activity, which environmentalists warn could harm marine life.
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Ecuador’s President Grants Expanded Powers to Security Forces After Spate of Attacks |
President Daniel Noboa Azín declared Ecuador (WaPo) to be in a state of “armed conflict” yesterday after armed men carried out attacks across the country that included prison riots, car explosions, and the kidnapping of police officers. In-person schooling has been canceled nationwide until Friday. For the Latin America’s Moment blog, CFR expert Will Freeman discusses the region’s organized crime threat.
Colombia: Around 180 community leaders or human rights defenders were killed (Reuters) in Colombia last year, the country’s human rights ombudsman’s office said yesterday. The total is a decrease from 2022’s record of 215 such killings, but the ombudsman said it still reflects one killing every two days and remains “an unacceptable situation.”
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SEC’s X Account Hacked, Causing Price Spike for Bitcoin |
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said its X account was compromised (NYT) yesterday after an unauthorized post from the account said that regulators had approved a product tracking the price of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The commission removed the post and is investigating the incident. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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