August 25, 2020

Daily News Brief

August 25, 2020

Top of the Agenda

U.S., China Forge Ahead on Trade Deal Despite Souring Relations

Despite rising tensions in other areas, the United States and China reiterated their commitment (WSJ) to the so-called phase one trade deal reached earlier this year.

Both countries’ representatives discussed China’s efforts to uphold the agreement (CNBC) and future actions on a call, a U.S. statement said. China’s Commerce Ministry said the “constructive dialogue” included a commitment to continue implementing the deal. Financial markets improved (Reuters) after news of the discussion. Still, China lags behind on its obligation to buy more U.S. goods under the deal.

Analysis

“Amid all the disruption to global trade from the unprecedented COVID-19 shock, China is emerging as a special case. Its strong export performance stands out all the more amid a generalized fall in global trade,” CFR’s Brad W. Setser writes.

“The [phase one trade] agreement doesn’t mark a major breakthrough, nor does it come anywhere close to resolving the real contentious issues that separate the two countries. To reach the next phase will require each side to determine what fundamental concessions it might be willing to offer the other,” Weijian Shan writes for Foreign Affairs.

This CFR timeline tracks U.S.-China relations.

Pacific Rim

Facebook Blocks Popular Page After Order From Bangkok

Facebook blocked access (FT) in Thailand to a page focused on the country’s monarchy following a government order, which the company vowed to challenge. Despite stiff penalties, recent student protests have increasingly criticized the monarchy.

CFR’s Joshua Kurlantzick and Pavin Chachavalpongpun explain Thailand’s recent protests for Asia Unbound.

South and Central Asia

Pakistani Officials to Meet With Taliban Leaders About Afghan Peace

Pakistan will host talks (Bloomberg) with the Taliban about peace in Afghanistan today, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced. A meeting with China’s special envoy for Afghanistan will follow. A Taliban spokesperson said the group’s leaders will also discuss movement of people, including refugees.

India: At least eleven people were killed (Hindustan Times) and around twenty people were believed to be trapped after a residential building collapsed in the state of Maharashtra. Authorities have rescued several people, including a young boy.

Middle East and North Africa

UN Pauses Syria Talks Due to Coronavirus

The United Nations paused meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, which aims to politically resolve Syria’s civil war, after three participants tested positive (Al-Monitor) for coronavirus. The body started its first session (Reuters) in nine months yesterday.

Israel: The Knesset extended the deadline (Haaretz) to approve Israel’s budget by 120 days. The deal, which forestalled a fourth round of elections in less than two years, came hours before a deadline that would have dissolved the parliament.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa Stamps Out Wild Polio

An independent commission is expected to declare the continent free of wild polio (BBC) today, though a rare vaccine-derived polio continues to infect Africans. Nigeria reported the last African case of wild polio in 2016.

Mali: The country’s military leaders and delegates from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ended talks (Al Jazeera) without an agreement on how to return to civilian rule following last week’s coup. Deposed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita does not want to return to office, they said.

Europe

Tests Signal Putin Critic Was Poisoned

Testing suggested that Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was poisoned (Guardian) with a substance that impairs the nervous system, the German hospital treating him said. A Kremlin spokesperson said allegations of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement are untrue (BBC).

Netherlands: A two-day appeal hearing for Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic will begin today (AFP) at an international court in The Hague. In 2017, Mladic received a life sentence for genocide and war crimes.

This CFR timeline looks at how Mladic and other leaders have faced justice.

Americas

Chile Rejects U.S. Extradition Request

Chile’s Supreme Court rejected a U.S. request to extradite Chilean tycoon Carlos Cardoen. The court said too much time had passed (Reuters) since the United States indicted Cardoen in 1993 for illegally selling a mineral used to make bombs to Iraq.

This CFR Backgrounder explains extradition.

Brazil: Prosecutors charged (BBC) congresswoman Flordelis dos Santos de Souza and ten other people for their alleged roles in her husband’s 2019 murder. De Souza, who has denied (Latin Times) involvement in the killing, cannot be arrested because of parliamentary immunity.

United States

Republicans Renominate Trump, Pence

On the first day of the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, delegates unanimously renominated (CBS) President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for the party’s ticket in the November general election.

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