December 14, 2021

Daily News Brief

December 14, 2021

Top of the Agenda

Blinken Pledges to Work Toward ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Washington will strengthen its military and economic relationships (Straits Times) in the Indo-Pacific during a speech in Jakarta, Indonesia. He said the United States is developing an economic framework (State Dept.) for the region to address areas such as the digital economy, clean energy, and infrastructure.

While Blinken said he does not aim to promote U.S.-China competition in the region, he warned against “Beijing’s aggressive actions” in the South China Sea and called for a region that is “free from coercion.” A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Washington should avoid “inciting bloc confrontation.” After meeting with Blinken yesterday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo hosted Russia’s top security official (Nikkei). 

Analysis

“The Indo-Pacific is generally in favor of more robust American engagement, but rejects the rigid binaries that lie at the heart of Washington’s current approach to the region. If the U.S. fails to heed that, its policy in Southeast Asia, and the wider Indo-Pacific, is destined to remain a slogan without a strategy,” the Diplomat’s Sebastian Strangio writes.

“Whether the United States remains the top power in the Indo-Pacific for decades to come depends on how it plays its cards. Yet it is already clear that China will never be as dominant as the United States once was. A bipolar future beckons,” the Lowy Institute’s Michael Fullilove and Hervé Lemahieu write for Foreign Affairs.

On  The President’s Inbox, the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Lynn Kuok discusses U.S. President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

Pacific Rim

China to Implement New Import Rules Despite U.S., EU Warnings

Beginning January 1, food imports must meet (Bloomberg) new registration, inspection, and labeling requirements. The United States and European Union (EU) have urged China to delay the requirement due to fears that it could further disrupt supply chains.

This article explains what caused this year’s supply-chain disruptions.

South and Central Asia

India, Russia Strike Down UN Security Council Resolution on Climate Change

The draft resolution would have asked the secretary-general to integrate climate-related security risk (United Nations) into UN conflict-prevention strategies. China abstained from voting. 

In Foreign Affairs, CFR’s Stewart M. Patrick argues that the climate crisis demands a new planetary politics.

Afghanistan: The United Nations has received credible allegations (RFE/RL) of over one hundred extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over in August, with most carried out by Taliban militants, deputy human rights chief Nada Al-Nashif said.

Middle East and North Africa

GCC Summit Expected to Solidify Warmer Relations With Qatar

Today’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit is the first (Al Jazeera) since Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates ended a dispute with Qatar that led them to cut off diplomatic relations in 2017. GCC members are expected to discuss how to encourage a revival of the Iran nuclear deal.

Tunisia: President Kais Saied announced a July 25 referendum (AFP) on constitutional reforms and said the current suspension of parliament will continue until next December, when new elections will occur.

For Foreign Affairs, Sarah E. Yerkes writes that Saied’s power grab risks an authoritarian regression.

This Day in History: December 14, 1994

Construction on the controversial Three Gorges Dam begins in central China along the Yangtze River. About 1.3 million people are relocated during the seventeen-year construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric project.

Sub-Saharan Africa

South African Study Finds Pfizer Vaccine Appears to Prevent Omicron Hospitalizations

A study by health insurance provider Discovery Health found that two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech could prevent (Bloomberg) 70 percent of patients infected with the coronavirus’s omicron variant from requiring hospitalization.

Gambia: The runner-up in the country’s December 4 election, Ousainou Darboe, launched a legal challenge (Reuters) against the vote’s result, alleging problems at polling stations.

Europe

Malta Moves Toward Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

A bill that would make Malta the first country in Europe to take this step goes before Parliament today (WaPo) and is expected to take effect by the end of the week.

Armenia/Turkey: The countries will mutually appoint envoys (Hurriyet) as part of a process of normalizing ties, Turkey’s foreign minister said. Last year, Turkey backed Azerbaijan in a conflict with Armenia.

Americas

Investigation Finds Colombia Police Killed Eleven Protesters in 2020 Marches

The probe was backed by the mayor of Bogota’s office and the United Nations. The chief investigator said a “police massacre” occurred (Guardian) during the protests against police violence.

China/Nicaragua: Days after Nicaragua cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of China, Beijing sent two hundred thousand doses (BBC) of its Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Nicaragua. Eight hundred thousand more doses are reportedly on the way. 

United States

Supreme Court Refuses to Block New York Vaccine Mandate

This is the second time the court rejected a challenge (NPR) to a vaccine mandate for health-care workers. The first was for a challenge against a mandate in Maine.

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