U.S., China Trade Deal Signed

The U.S. and China signed a trade deal that officials say will lead to a sharp increase in sales of U.S. goods and services to China, further open Chinese markets to foreign firms—especially in financial services—and provide strong new protections for trade secrets and intellectual property, as the WSJ’s Bob Davis, Lingling Wei and William Mauldin report.

Dive Deeper: "What's Inside the U.S.-China Phase One Deal?" by CSIS's Matthew Goodman, Scott Kennedy, Bill Reinsch, Stephanie Segal, and Jack Caporal.

Putin Power Grab

Russia’s Vladimir Putin proposed constitutional changes on Wednesday that would give him scope to extend his grip on power after leaving the presidency, and picked a new prime minister after Dmitry Medvedev and his cabinet stepped down, as Reuters reports.

Iran Lashes Out at Europeans

Iranian leaders attempted on Wednesday to calm domestic anger over the downing of a passenger jet last week, while lashing out at European nations that have formally accused Iran of breaking the 2015 agreement to curb its nuclear program, as the NYT’s Vivian Yee reports.

And, as Reuters reports, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani dismissed on Wednesday a proposal for a new “Trump deal” aimed at resolving a nuclear row, saying it was a “strange” offer and criticizing President Trump for breaking promises.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS March 11-13 for our course, Belt, Road, and Beyond. Work with leading experts and the Reconnecting Asia Project to explore what the BRI is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

2,500 kilometers

Iran maintains the largest ballistic and cruise missile force in the Middle East, capable of striking targets as far as 2,500 kilometers from its borders.

Source: CSIS, “Containing Tehran: Understanding Iran’s Power and Exploiting Its Vulnerabilities”

Critical Quote

“Today, the American soldier is in danger, tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger.”

— Iranian President President Hassan Rouhani

iDeas Lab

As the Arctic warms faster than any other part of the planet, Russia and China have rapidly expanded their regional footprint. Watch the new PreView video on Charting a New Arctic Ocean.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and video.

Optics

(Photo credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images). President Donald Trump and China's Vice Premier Liu He shake hands as they sign the phase one U.S.-China trade agreement.

This Town Tomorrow

At 8:30 a.m., CSIS will host Phil Hogan, European commissioner for Trade, for a conversation on refreshing transatlantic trade relations and strengthening Europe’s global trade leadership.

And, at 3:00 p.m., CSIS will host Shah Mahmood Qureshi, foreign minister of Pakistan, for a discussion on reframing the strategic relationship between the United States and Pakistan.

Later, at 5:00 p.m., CSIS will host Joseph S. Nye, one of the world’s leading international relations scholars, for the launch of his new book Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump.

Video

CSIS hosted Andrey Baklitskiy, visiting fellow with CSIS's Russia and Eurasia Program, for a presentation on different options for U.S.-Russian arms control. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

Brookings' Amanda Sloat joined host Beverly Kirk to discuss the latest Brexit updates in the latest episode of Smart Women Smart Power.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Well, if it rains, I don't care
Don't make no difference to me
Just take that streetcar that’s goin’ uptown…”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today officially announced this year’s inductees: Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, and T. Rex will all join the class of 2020.

I love the Doobies so much. They really deserve this. They make everyone smile. Check this out, and don’t miss the incomparable Jeff “Skunk” Baxter on pedal steel.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.