The Winter Olympics opening ceremony kicked off in Beijing (Nikkei) today, with several world leaders boycotting the event over China’s human rights record. It follows a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the leaders voiced their opposition (NYT) to expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and said their friendship has “no limits.” Putin also announced a new deal to supply China with Russian natural gas (Reuters).
It was Xi’s first face-to-face meeting (Nikkei) with a foreign leader since March 2020, due to the pandemic. China’s strict approach to COVID-19 extends to the Olympics, which are unfolding inside a tightly controlled bubble.
Analysis
“Starting with these Olympics, the rest of the world may learn that our biggest challenge is not to coexist with the virus—but to coexist with a reinvented China that increasingly plays by its own rules,” CFR’s Yanzhong Huang writes for the Washington Post.
“Will Beijing support Moscow in the event that brinkmanship in Ukraine results in a military incursion, and even heavier economic punishment and political isolation? To a point, yes. Can it replace ties with the West? That seems far more unlikely,” Bloomberg’s Clara Ferreira Marques writes.
Beijing’s pandemic management is under the microscope as it hosts the Winter Olympics. CFR’s Yanzhong Huang explains how China’s response offers opportunities for U.S. global health leadership.
U.S. Asks Japan for Help Supplying Europe With Natural Gas
Washington asked Tokyo to send (Reuters) liquefied natural gas supplies to Europe if the crisis in Ukraine leads to a supply disruption. Japan said it is considering the request.
ASEAN Blocks Myanmar Junta’s Top Diplomat From Upcoming Meeting
Cambodia, the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Myanmar’s military junta has made too little progress (Phnom Penh Post) in ending the country’s crisis.
India: The central government will cut back on social spending (Bloomberg) and increase infrastructure spending, despite public discontent over unemployment and the rising cost of living. The move could backfire on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during state elections next week.
Middle East and North Africa
U.S. State Department Approves Weapons Sales to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
The sales would include fighter jets for Jordan (Al Jazeera) and missile defense system components for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A year ago, U.S. President Joe Biden said Washington would end support for offensive operations by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, including relevant arms sales.
Iran/Saudi Arabia: A Danish court found three members of an Iranian Arab opposition group guilty of spying as well as financing and supporting terrorist activity (Reuters) in Iran in collaboration with Saudi intelligence services.
Sub-Saharan Africa
South African Scientists Copy Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine
World Health Organization–backed researchers at South Africa’s Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines said their near-complete copy (Nature) uses Moderna’s own data. Their version could be used in human trials by the end of this year.
Addis Ababa: The African Union (AU) holds a leaders summit (AFP) this weekend and is expected to weigh conflicting views on Israel’s accreditation to the AU, which the bloc’s chair accepted last year.
Europe
Russia Criticizes U.S. Assertion That It Is Planning False Flag Attack on Ukraine
Russia’s foreign minister said the U.S. claim that it plans to stage a fake attack (Moscow Times) by Ukrainian forces on Russian-speaking people is “nonsense.” A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the United States is confident in its intelligence but did not provide proof.
UK: Five senior aides to Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned in the wake of a scandal (BBC) over parties held during a period of pandemic restrictions in the United Kingdom (UK).
Americas
Costa Rica Holds Presidential, Legislative Elections
There is no clear front-runner in the presidential race, which will likely go to a runoff. One-third of Costa Ricans said they were undecided (Tico Times) in recent polls.
Argentina/Ecuador: Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso will seek investment and trade deals (FT) while meeting with Chinese President Xi this weekend.
United States
Biden to Sign Executive Order on Unions in Federal Construction Jobs
The Atlantic describes how American soldiers, veterans, and ordinary citizens worked together to save Afghan lives during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
