In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, U.S. Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said China is the biggest threat to the United States and to freedom and democracy around the world. 

Ratcliffe’s broadside comes as the Donald J. Trump administration continues to put pressure on Beijing. The administration yesterday tightened visa rules (WaPo) for members of the Chinese Communist Party and added more companies (Reuters) to a blacklist of firms with alleged ties to China’s military. In his op-ed, Ratcliffe said China is trying to achieve economic, military, and technological dominance by stealing American intellectual property and supplanting U.S. companies—an approach he called “rob, replicate, and replace.” He also warned of China’s growing cyber capabilities and efforts to influence U.S. lawmakers, as well as threats posed by Chinese tech firms such as the telecommunications giant Huawei.

The cost of delaying the Tokyo Olympics due to the pandemic could reach $2.8 billion (AP), according to figures released by the organizing committee. The games are set to open next summer.

This CFR Backgrounder explains the economics of hosting the Olympic Games.

Bangladesh started moving Rohingya families (Guardian) from camps near its border with Myanmar to a settlement on a remote island, despite opposition from rights groups who say the move was done without Rohingya refugees’ consent. More than 1,600 refugees set sail today.

India: The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Canada’s high commissioner to India over comments Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made in support of farmers (Scroll) protesting agricultural reform laws in New Delhi, calling it an “unacceptable interference” in India’s affairs. Another round of talks between farmers and the Indian government is scheduled for tomorrow.

Qatar’s foreign minister said there has been progress (Al Jazeera) toward resolving the yearslong diplomatic row that led Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to boycott Qatar. His comments follow reports that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are nearing a U.S.-brokered agreement (Bloomberg). 

Iran: Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a law passed by parliament to stop UN inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites and boost uranium enrichment would not be implemented (RFE/RL) if sanctions on Tehran are lifted and the United States and other signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal return to compliance with the agreement.

Ghanaians will vote on Monday (AFP) in a presidential election dominated by incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo and his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama. Ten other candidates, including three women, are also running.

Ethiopia: Thousands of federal troops have been killed (AP) during the conflict in Tigray, a regional government official said. A communications blockade makes it difficult to verify such figures. Federal forces yesterday prevented people (AP) in Tigray from fleeing to neighboring Sudan, Sudanese forces said.

Nearly 2,800 Azerbaijani soldiers died in the conflict with Armenia (BBC) over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijani officials said in the first official announcement of the country’s casualties. Armenian officials said last month that they had counted at least 2,425 deaths on their side.

Germany: The U.S. Congress moved to block (WSJ) President Trump’s decision to reduce troop levels in the country. A provision in the annual defense funding bill will defer a decision until after President-Elect Biden takes office.

The United States is discussing a deal with Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, that would allow her to leave Canada after awaiting extradition to the United States for two years, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post report. Meng would have to admit wrongdoing, but the wire and bank fraud charges against her would be deferred or dropped.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at Huawei, China’s controversial tech giant.

Venezuela: The country will elect a new National Assembly (WaPo) on Sunday, but Juan Guaido, the U.S.-recognized Venezuelan leader, will not appear on the ballot because he is boycotting the elections. In the absence of the opposition, President Nicolas Maduro’s supporters are expected to gain control of the body.

The military’s top official, General Mark A. Milley, said the United States should reconsider its long-standing policy of permanently stationing troops (AP) in allied countries such as Bahrain and South Korea. Milley said the practice is expensive and places military families at risk. He recommended rotational or “episodic” deployments instead.