Blinken Arrives in China for Talks Focused on Economic Relations, Ukraine War |
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived (Nikkei) in China today for a three-day visit due to focus on economic relations, tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and conflicts farther afield such as the wars in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. He is also expected to stress concerns about Chinese support for Russia’s defense industrial base. His visit comes as the United States is increasingly signaling it will respond to Chinese excess production in global markets, adding uncertainty to the bilateral relationship.
Though U.S.-China relations have improved since a low point in early 2023, the U.S. congressional passage of a foreign aid package yesterday underscores (AP) ongoing tensions. It contains a requirement that the Chinese firm that owns social media platform TikTok sell the app or face a ban in the United States, a measure that TikTok’s owner is expected to challenge (WaPo) in court. The package also includes aid to Taiwan that China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said “seriously violates” U.S. commitments to China.
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“U.S. policymakers still need to determine where and how to compete with China and, equally important, what risks they are willing to take and what costs they are willing to pay. Today, these foundational questions remain unanswered, and they could become far more dire for U.S. leaders if mishandled now,” Georgetown University’s Evan S. Medeiros writes in Foreign Affairs.
“The increased concern over Chinese exports adds an additional tension to a strained U.S.-Chinese relationship already buffeted by differences over Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine,” CFR expert James M. Lindsay writes in The Water’s Edge blog. “The Biden administration, and a second Trump administration if it comes to be, will need to pay attention to what its friends, partners, and allies are doing, as well as to how its own policy choices affect them.”
This timeline traces U.S.-China relations.
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North Korea Sends Rare Diplomatic Delegation to Iran |
Minister of External Economic Relations Yun Jung Ho traveled (AP) to Iran yesterday, North Korea’s official news agency reported today. The trip is the first known visit by North Korean officials to Iran since August 2019. Both countries are among the few supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine; Pyongyang has been accused of providing Moscow with military equipment for its war efforts.
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Nepal, Qatar Agree to Up Cooperation, Discuss Hostage Release |
Qatar’s emir and Nepal’s prime minister signed (Kathmandu Post) a series of cooperation agreements over issues including trade, the rule of law, and culture at a bilateral meeting in Kathmandu today. Nepal’s president also appealed (AP) for support securing the release of a Nepali student who was taken hostage during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.
Myanmar: Rebel forces made a “temporary retreat” (Reuters) from the town of Myawaddy on the Thai border after a counteroffensive from Myanmar’s military junta, a rebel spokesperson said today.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick unpacks the Myanmar junta’s latest losses.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Hezbollah Targets Site Ten Miles Inside Israel |
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said yesterday that its drones had hit a barracks in northern Israel, while the Israeli military said three drones were intercepted and they had recorded no casualties or damage. The attack is Lebanon’s deepest inside Israel since last October, the New York Times reported. This Backgrounder by CFR’s Kali Robinson looks at Hezbollah's role in the region.
Palestinian territories: The UN human rights office called for (NYT) an independent probe into reports of two mass graves discovered after Israeli forces departed hospitals in Gaza. A Palestinian emergency services spokesperson said some bodies found outside of Nasser Hospital were handcuffed and accused Israel of killing them, while the Israeli military said its forces had exhumed and examined bodies buried by Palestinian forces in the area.
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OPEC Pledges to Support Namibia in Oil Production |
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pledged (Bloomberg) to support Namibia in its oil production goals following several offshore discoveries there in recent years, paving a path for the country to join the bloc. The Namibian government has said it would consider joining OPEC depending on the size of the oil discoveries.
Djibouti/Ethiopia: A boat capsized (BBC) off the coast of Djibouti yesterday, officials said, killing at least thirty-three Ethiopian migrants. A Djibouti coast guard official said the migrants had first gone to Yemen and then left because life was more difficult there than in the currently conflict-ridden Ethiopia.
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Russian Authorities Detain Deputy Defense Minister in Bribery Probe |
Timur Ivanov appeared in a Moscow court today as he is suspected (CNN) of accepting a bribe of more than $10,000, Russian state media TASS reported. The case is the highest-profile corruption scandal since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
North Macedonia: The country votes today (AP) in a presidential election that is seen as a test of public opinion on the steps the government should take to seek European Union (EU) membership. Incumbent candidate Stevo Pendarovski has called for the constitution to be changed to recognize the country’s Bulgarian minority, a demand from Bulgaria regarding EU membership.
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Tens of Thousands Protest Against Cuts to Public Education in Argentina |
The marches yesterday objected (BBC) to President Javier Milei’s cuts to the real value of public university budgets by as much as 80 percent. University officials said they would be forced to dramatically scale down operations and could potentially shut down under the current cuts.
Canada: Ottawa as well as its allies in the Five Eyes intelligence partnership—the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and United Kingdom—are working together (Reuters) to prevent other countries from flooding the market with critical minerals and affecting prices, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said yesterday.
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Federal Regulators Vote to Ban Most Noncompete Agreements |
Yesterday’s vote approved (Bloomberg) a near-total ban on noncompete provisions that limit the ability of workers to switch jobs within their industries. The Federal Trade Commission estimated the change would increase employee earnings by at least $400 billion over the next ten years, while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the rule would undermine (CBS) U.S. businesses’ ability to remain competitive and said it would sue.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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