Geopolitics
— Russia’s frustration with China’s limited support for its Ukraine war led to a North Korean peace treaty aimed at pressuring Beijing. Meanwhile, Western criticism of China’s role intensifies, urging it to reconsider its alignment.
Geopolitics
— Russia’s frustration with China’s limited support for its Ukraine war led to a North Korean peace treaty aimed at pressuring Beijing. Meanwhile, Western criticism of China’s role intensifies, urging it to reconsider its alignment.
2024 US Presidential Election
— Donald Trump’s pick of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as running mate could shift US focus from Europe to China, sparking European fears of diminished American support. Vance’s stance might weaken transatlantic security ties.
China
— The Chinese Communist Party has inadvertently given the country’s nationalist movement influence that it’s struggling to contain.
US-China Relationship
— Biden and Xi discussed stabilising US-China relations, covering Taiwan, TikTok, tariffs, and support for Russia in a 105-minute call, indicating a thaw in relations amid deep-seated mistrust.
2024 General Election
— British elections are pencil and papers affairs, which makes them difficult to hack. But the breach of millions of people’s details is still a deeply serious matter.
2024 US Presidential Election
— Accusations against TikTok include data held in China, censorship, and disinformation. US Democrats face dilemmas over its potential closure, impacting their outreach to young voters and the 2024 election.
UK Politics
— David Cameron’s ties with China present challenges for the current UK Government. As Foreign Secretary, Cameron’s more dovish stance clashes with the party’s current China-sceptic position, creating internal tensions and complicating UK foreign policy.
OPINION
— Bangladesh’s 2024 election resulted in PM Sheikh Hasina’s anticipated win, as the main opposition boycotted, alleging a sham to maintain ruling party dominance and raising concerns about democratic decline, underscoring global challenges to democracy in the year ahead.
US Foreign Policy
— The term ‘axis of evil’ is being revived by some Republicans to describe China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. However, the new grouping differs in principles and has more tenuous links to US policy. It also appears driven by Republicans in Congress rather than the White House.
COMMENT
— Joe Biden and Xi Jinping participated in a crucial summit during the APEC forum in San Francisco. Acknowledging competition, the leaders underscored the importance of averting conflict and committed to resuming military contact.
Geopolitics
— In a high-stakes meeting at the APEC summit, US President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed to ease tensions in a complex relationship shaped by economic interdependence. Resolving grievances requires ongoing dialogue and cooperation.
China-Russia Relationship
— Vladimir Putin’s first trip outside Russia in 20 months is to attend Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) anniversary summit. Both leaders aim to challenge the Western-dominated order but their partnership leans towards China.
China-UK Relationship
— As a key UK trading partner, the government should tread carefully when addressing the very real risks posed by China.
COMMENT
— Xi no-show and several other headaches for host India.
China
— China’s new restrictions on gallium and germanium exports, in response to Western curbs on semiconductor equipment exports, could disrupt Western tech manufacturing. These elements, key in semiconductors and devices like smartphones, are predominantly supplied by China.
War in Ukraine
— The recent visits of Volodymyr Zelensky to his European allies to seek military and diplomatic support for the war against Russia was a success as Germany, France, and Britain have agreed to provide Ukraine with more weapons and equipment for its counter-offensive.
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