Hong Kong on the Brink

The United States is “deeply concerned” about Chinese paramilitary movement along the Hong Kong border, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said on Wednesday, while warning that continued erosion of the territory’s autonomy put at risk the preferential status it enjoys under U.S. law, as Reuters’ David Brunnstrom and Jonathan Landay report.

Meanwhile, as the NYT’s Austin Ramzy reports, Hong Kong protesters apologized on Wednesday and appeared to engage in soul searching about their increasingly confrontational tactics, after activists attacked two men at the airport in scenes that Chinese authorities described as “close to terrorism.”

Dive Deeper: “How Close Is Hong Kong to a Second Tiananmen?” by CSIS’s Jude Blanchette for Foreign Policy.

“Critical Questions: Whither Hong Kong?” by CSIS’ Scott Kennedy and Mingda Qiu.

North Korean Warning

Any move by the United States to place new ground-launched, intermediate-range missiles in South Korea could spark a “new Cold War” and an escalating arms race in the region, North Korean state media said on Wednesday, as Reuters’ Josh Smith reports.

Warning Signs of Deepening Global Economic Slowdown

Warning signs pointing to a deepening global economic slowdown—and the risk of recession—are flashing more brightly, as the WSJ’s Josh Mitchell and Jon Hilsenrath report.

Enroll for Fall

Now enrolling for the Fall, CSIS & Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offer a new Executive Master's in International Relations. Information here.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

800

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 800 points, or 3% - its biggest loss of the year.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Critical Quote

“Unlike others, our economy is strong!”

— President Donald Trump

iDeas Lab

In the latest episode of "High Resolution," CSIS's Seth Jones highlights the Iranian missile and cyber threat to Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure on the Persian Gulf.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.

Optics

(Photo credit: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images). Police fired tear gas to clear pro-democracy protesters during a demonstration today in Hong Kong.

Looking Ahead

On September 11, CSIS will host a half-day conference examining the escalating violence in the Sahel. The number of reported violent events linked to militant Islamic group activity in the region has doubled every year since 2016, reaching 465 incidents in 2018.

Video

CSIS today hosted a conversation with Sean Cairncross, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, on the future direction of U.S. foreign aid. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

In part two of Mike and Andrew's discussion with Kurt Campbell, they turn to the domestic implications of the Trump administration's grand strategy in Asia. Mike and Kurt also discuss the Trump administration's departure from long held norms in Asia grand strategy. Is the focus on browbeating allies and adversaries sustainable? Will future American administrations adopt an anything-but-Trump approach?

Listen on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, & Spotify

Smiles

As August chugs along I find myself drawn more and more to the sounds of rock and roll Los Angeles. For me, that could mean anything from the Beach Boys to Jane’s Addiction and everything in between. Lately, it’s been a lot of David Crosby and Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” material.

“Tusk” is underrated because nothing can compare to the Big Mac’s perfect album “Rumours.” It’s also often dismissed because it includes a bunch of Lindsey Buckingham’s experimental material. But make no mistake, this is one fantastic record full of beautiful Southern California rock. Like this track, “Angel,” with Stevie on lead vocals.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.