China and the European Union are nearing the conclusion (Politico) of a long-sought investment agreement after Beijing made new commitments on labor rights.

The agreement, which has been under negotiation since 2014 and could be announced this week, would remove barriers to investment (FT) in China by European companies in a range of sectors, including manufacturing and financial services. For China, the deal would cement its access to the EU’s market and potentially pave the way (Bloomberg) for a free trade agreement. But a deal could lead to tensions between the EU and the incoming administration of U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden. Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, said last week that the new administration would “welcome early consultations” with the EU on a coordinated approach to China’s economic practices.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Russian President Vladimir Putin that China-Russia ties could not be broken (SCMP) by another country, and that Beijing and Moscow should work together to “resist any attempt to suppress and divide the two countries.” China is seeking to shore up its foreign ties ahead of the inauguration of U.S. President-Elect Biden.

South Korea: President Moon Jae-in struck a deal (Yonhap) with the U.S. biotech company Moderna to provide South Korea with vaccine doses for twenty million people in the second quarter of next year.

The two countries have reportedly begun talks (TOLO) for a new transit trade agreement and a separate deal to boost bilateral trade. Abdul Razak Dawood, Pakistan’s advisor to the prime minister for commerce and investment, said the agreements would be signed (News International) by the end of January.

India: The government in the state of Madhya Pradesh approved a bill targeting “love jihad” (Scroll), a conspiracy pushed by right-wing Hindu groups that accuses Muslim men of marrying Hindu women in order to convert them to Islam. The state of Uttar Pradesh recently passed a similar bill.

This CFR Backgrounder looks at the marginalization of India’s Muslims.

Iran started human trials (AP) of a coronavirus vaccine developed in the country. The vaccine relies on an older method of injecting a weakened or dead virus to trigger an immune response, as opposed to the vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which use new, genetic-based technology.

Palestinian territories: Militant groups in the Gaza Strip fired rockets into the sea (Reuters) in what they said was their first joint exercise. Israeli media described the event as a show of force organized by Iran.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced new lockdown measures (BusinessLIVE) as South Africa grapples with a surge in coronavirus cases driven by a new, more transmissible virus strain. It is distinct from another more contagious strain that originated in the United Kingdom. The measures include a ban on gatherings and alcohol sales, a curfew, and a mask mandate.

Burkina Faso: President Roch Marc Christian Kabore vowed to make security a priority (AFP) as he was sworn in for a second five-year term. The country has seen a surge in jihadi violence in recent years.

Russia’s federal prison service told dissident Alexey Navalny that he must return from Germany (RFE/RL)—where he is recovering after being poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent—because he is violating the terms of a suspended prison sentence. Navalny has accused Russian President Putin of ordering his poisoning, a charge the Kremlin denies.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said the opposition-controlled National Assembly’s move to extend its current session (Reuters) is unconstitutional and called on the judiciary to step in. The legislature extended its term after Maduro’s allies won a majority in an election earlier this month that was largely boycotted by the opposition.

CFR’s Paul J. Angelo outlines U.S. policy options in Venezuela in this Council Special Report.

Honduras: Felix Vasquez, an environmental activist from the Lenca indigenous community, was shot dead (BBC) by masked gunmen in front of his family. Vasquez had recently announced that he would run in the parliamentary election next year.

House lawmakers voted to override President Donald J. Trump’s veto of the annual defense funding bill, potentially setting up the first overturn of a veto (WaPo) during his presidency after the Senate votes. Trump opposed the bill for a number of reasons, including that it did not repeal Section 230, a legal shield for tech companies that protects them from liability for users’ posts.

This CFR In Brief explains Trump and Section 230.