Biden Welcomes Japan’s Kishida to White House as ‘Global Partner’ |
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio begins a state visit (Nikkei) to Washington today, during which the two countries are expected to unveil dozens of new agreements, including upgrades to aerospace and defense cooperation. The ramp-up in bilateral ties means Japan will be a “full global partner” (Reuters) in matters that extend far beyond its region, an unnamed senior U.S. official told reporters yesterday. Both countries have aimed to strengthen their capabilities to counter China in recent years, as has the Philippines. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will join Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden for a trilateral summit tomorrow in Washington.
Kishida will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress tomorrow, becoming only the second Japanese leader to do so. The U.S.-Japan defense coordination plans reportedly include (WaPo) an integrated air defense system and continue to pull Japan away (CNN) from its previous pacifist orientation.
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“Given the central role Japan plays in U.S. thinking, Washington should seek out new methods of not just cooperating with Japan but leveraging its centrality to U.S. strategy to help promote the security and stability of the greater Indo-Pacific region. It is time to make the U.S.-Japanese alliance the hub of a growing confederation of regional groupings,” RAND Corporation’s Jeffrey W. Hornung writes for Foreign Affairs.
“Kishida is comfortable on the global stage, just as his predecessor [Abe Shinzo] was, but even Abe did not have to respond to war in Europe and now the Middle East. The world does not look like it will be easier for Japanese leaders to manage, and one of the biggest challenges could be Japan’s relationship with a far less predictable United States,” CFR Senior Fellow Sheila A. Smith writes in this Expert Brief.
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Exit Polls in South Korean Parliamentary Vote Suggest Strong Showing for Opposition |
Today’s election is seen (BBC) as a referendum on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration, which still has three years in office. Exit polls suggest (Yonhap) the main opposition Democratic Party and its so-called sister party are expected to win more than a majority of parliamentary seats.
Germany/Singapore: The countries will upgrade (Straits Times) their relations to a strategic partnership, Singapore’s foreign ministry announced during Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s visit to Berlin yesterday. Wong said they shared commitments to open trading systems and countering economic fragmentation. Until now, France has been the only European Union (EU) country to hold such a status with Singapore.
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Apple Doubles the Amount of iPhones Assembled in India in Last Fiscal Year |
Tech giant Apple assembled (Bloomberg) $14 billion worth of iPhones in India in the fiscal year ending March 2024, or around one in every seven of its devices, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter. This shift denotes Apple’s efforts to diversify its production out of China.
Kazakhstan/Russia: Authorities ordered more than one hundred thousand people to evacuate (Reuters) parts of Kazakhstan and Russia that saw their worst flooding in at least seven decades. It was not immediately clear why this year’s annual flooding from snowmelt is more severe, though scientists say climate change has made flooding worse worldwide.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Aid Trucks Entering Gaza Have Increased, Israel Says |
A total of 468 aid trucks entered Gaza (Reuters) yesterday, the highest since Israel’s war with Hamas began and up from 419 on Monday, Israel said. The United Nations gave a lower estimate and said that many of the trucks were only half full, still falling far short of the amount of aid that the enclave needs. The increase comes as Israel is under heightened international pressure to allow more aid into the Gaza Strip.
Lebanon: The Lebanese military and a party aligned against militant group Hezbollah offered clashing explanations (Reuters) for the Sunday death of local politician Pascal Sleiman that has heightened political tensions. Sleiman was head of the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces Party; supporters shut down some roads in Lebanon after his death and school in Beirut was canceled yesterday.
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Second House of Liberian Legislature Greenlights War Crimes Court |
Yesterday’s Senate approval of a proposal to create the court to try abuses during Liberia’s two civil wars marked a major step forward (AFP) for the long-awaited initiative. The plan still needs to undergo review in the lower chamber and receive sign-off from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, who has said he supports exploring the initiative. Liberia has yet to try anyone for crimes during the two conflicts.
South Africa: An electoral court overturned a ban (Bloomberg) on former President Jacob Zuma’s candidacy in next month’s legislative election. Zuma’s newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) is gaining favor in opinion polls ahead of the May vote, competing at the ballot box with the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Last month, the ANC unsuccessfully tried to have the MKP deregistered.
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EU Launches Anti-Subsidy Probe Into Chinese Wind Turbines |
The European Commission is probing (Euronews) the possibility that state subsidies for Chinese wind turbine manufacturers amount to unfair competition. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said today that Beijing was “highly concerned” (AFP) over the inquiry, calling it discriminatory.
Brussels/Russia: An EU court annulled sanctions (FT) today on Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, saying claims they had aided Russia’s war against Ukraine lacked sufficient evidence. The ruling could open the door to more legal challenges to the EU sanctions regime against Moscow.
This In Brief by CFR’s Noah Berman explores whether sanctions against Russia are working.
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Colombia’s Uribe to Become Nation’s First Former President to Face Trial |
Álvaro Uribe Vélez will be tried (MercoPress) on bribery and procedural fraud charges, the country’s attorney general’s office said yesterday. The accusations stem from a 2012 incident in which Uribe tried to sue a senator over the lawmaker’s allegations that Uribe had ties to right-wing paramilitaries. Uribe denies any wrongdoing.
Venezuela: Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s former oil minister, was arrested (AP) as part of a corruption probe, authorities said yesterday. El Aissami had resigned unexpectedly last year.
This Backgrounder by Amelia Cheatham and CFR’s Diana Roy looks at Venezuela’s descent into economic and political chaos.
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