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The Daily Brief: China and France Angry at Australia, US, UK Alliance

China and France Angry at Australia, US, UK Alliance

Published

1 year ago

on

1280px Llegada de Scott Morrison primer ministro de Australia 44293627300

G20 Argentina, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Summary:

  • As part of a larger security alliance, named AUKUS, Australia, the US, and UK have jointly decided to help Australia acquire nuclear powered submarines. The alliance also includes sharing of intelligence and technology. 
  • The leaders of the three countries stressed that the submarines would not carry nuclear weapons.
  • US President Joe Biden spoke with the other two world leaders over zoom, stating, “We all recognise the imperative of ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific over the long term.”
  • Even as the US Secretary of Defense clarified that “On the issue of China…this relationship is not aimed at anything or anyone,” the country’s foreign ministry called the alliance “extremely irresponsible” and declared it was “damaging international nuclear non-proliferation efforts.”
  • The Chinese Embassy in Washington DC declared that the countries should “shake off their Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice.”
  • Australia’s Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, clarified that “Australia is not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons or establish a civil nuclear capability.”
  • Australia decided that they will no longer buy diesel-powered submarines from France. France’s Foreign Minister called the alliance a “brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision,” that reminds him “of what Mr Trump used to do,” adding that “it’s a real stab in the back.”
  • Tensions regarding Taiwan and China’s activity in the South China Sea have increased, raising competition between Beijing and Washington.
  • Sources

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/16/us-moves-to-assure-vital-partner-france-over-indo-pacific-pact

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/15/politics/us-uk-australia-nuclear-powered-submarines/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58540808

  • Tweets

Russia Begins Parliamentary Election After Removing Most Opposition

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Kremlin.ru, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Russia’s parliamentary election has begun and polls are open for the next three days. Russia’s main opposition leaders have not been allowed to run after months of regulations shutting down the opposition’s chances.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin called this election “undoubtedly the most important event in the life of our society and country.” It is expected that Putin’s party will win the election and remain in the majority.
  • The ballot contains fake candidates that have the same name and similar pictures as opposition leaders. They were created by Putin’s United Russia party to take away votes from other candidates.
  • Aleksei Navalny, jailed opposition leader, created an app to help voters towards candidates opposed to United Russia, but the app and website were banned.
  • Sources

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-election-putin-navalny-parliament/2021/09/16/d000e6e2-1012-11ec-baca-86b144fc8a2d_story.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/15/can-navalnys-smart-voting-app-impact-russias-election

  • Tweets

Sigrid Kaag Announces Resignation From Foreign Minister Position

  • The lower house of the Dutch Parliament determined that Kaag mismanaged the Afghan evacuation. 
  • The parliamentary debate did not call for her resignation; Kaag chose to leave her position voluntarily.
  • Kaag admitted that the response to evacuating staff and translators was disorderly and slow. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/europe/dutch-minister-resigns-afghanistan-intl/index.html

https://apnews.com/article/china-asia-afghanistan-united-states-beijing-23da7141d52f0589c7775e921f7d430c

China Hopes To Join Trans-Pacific Partnership

  • China has applied to join the entity to cement its trade ties in the Indo-Pacific. 
  • The US had originally worked to join the trading bloc but the Trump administration abandoned the effort. 
  • China can join if all eleven members of the bloc approve the application; however, Canada, Australia, and Vietnam currently have tense relationships with China regarding trade and other issues. 

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/china-applies-to-join-pacific-trade-bloc-as-security-tensions-rise-20210917-p58sgv

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-16/china-formally-applies-to-join-asian-trade-deal-u-s-abandoned

German Authorities Stop A Possible Attack On Hagen Synagogue

  • Authorities were tipped off about four people with terrorist ties who were planning an attack on a synagogue during Yom Kippur. 
  • Law enforcement were present with machine guns around the synagogue on Wednesday evening.
  • Parliamentary candidates Armin Laschet Olaf Scholz condemned the threat. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/europe/hagen-germany-synagogue-police-intl-grm/index.html

French Government Announces That ISIS Leader Has Been Killed

  • French Minister for the armed forces Florence Parly says that Adnan Abou Walid al Sahraoui has been killed.
  • French forces led an air and ground operation in Mali that resulted in al-Sahraoui being wounded. 
  • Al Sahraoui had ordered six French humanitarian workers to be killed in August 2020. 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/16/africa/france-killed-isis-al-sahrawi-intl-hnk/index.html

Hezbollah Sends Fuel to Lebanon via Syria

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Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Hezbollah, the Shia militant group, arranged 80 trucks carrying diesel that arrived in al-Ain, Lebanon, Thursday.  
  • Hospitals and essential services will be given priority for fuel distribution. 
  • The fuel shortage comes in the wake of the economic crisis the country is facing, resulting in fuel, electricity, and drinking water scarcity.
  • Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58583008

  • Tweets:

Salvadorans Protest Introduction of Bitcoin 

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Flying Logos, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
  • Cryptocurrency is now legal tender in El Salvador.  The introduction of Bitcoin resulted in demonstrators protesting President Nayib Bukele’s decision.  
  • President Bukele’s believes Bitcoin is in the people’s interests, as it will enable Salvadorans who work abroad to send money home to their families.
  • Protesters in San Salvador feel the cryptocurrency will only contribute to inflation and instability in El Salvador.  
  • Some demonstrators referred to Bukele as a dictator.
  • Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-58579415

  • Tweets:

Hilton Hotel Being Built over Uighur Mosque

  • Muslim groups will boycott Hilton Worldwide in response to its plans to construct a Hampton Inn hotel at the site of a destructed mosque.  The Uighur mosque in Hotan in Xinjiang, China was destroyed in 2018.
  • Destroying mosques is only one of China’s human rights violations against its largely Muslim Uighur population.
  • The minority group is subjected to forced labor, internments, and sterilizations.
  • China has denied any mistreatment of the Uighur population.
  • Source:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/16/muslim-groups-announce-boycott-over-planned-hotel-on-uighur-site

  • Tweet:

President Mohamed of Somalia Revokes Prime Minister Roble’s Powers

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  • In the latest crisis for Somalia, President Mohamed revoked PM Roble’s powers to appoint or remove officials until the election’s conclusion.
  • Tension between the President and the PM has risen over the last few months.
  • Farmaajo, the office of the president, was not consulted during Roble’s decision-making, the President alleges.
  • The next phase of the election will take place between October 1 and November 25.  Until then, Mr. Roble is suspended.
  • Source:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/16/somalia-crisis-deepens-as-president-withdraws-pms-powers

  • Tweets:

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

Salman Rushdie Severely Stabbed due to his Publication of the Book “The Satanic Verses”

Published

4 months ago

on

14 August 2022

By

Salman Rushdie 2014
  • Salman Rushdie, an author, was severely stabbed in his neck and abdomen on stage by a suspect named Hadi Matar, causing him to be on a ventilator and potentially losing an eye.
  • An Iranian leader back in the 20th century wanted Rushdie killed because of his novel, Satanic Verses, that many Muslims found disrespectful. This led Salman to go into hiding for almost a decade.
  • Translators from different countries reading this book were harshly stabbed to death when the book came out and Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khomeini called for Salman’s execution for three million dollars.
  • The Iranian government has not yet responded to this issue, but many Iranians in the media claim him to be an apostate who later became an atheist.

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

China Threatens Consequences if Pelosi Visits Taiwan

Published

4 months ago

on

2 August 2022

By

800px Nancy Pelosi 47998984512
  • US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has landed inTaiwan. Prior to the visit, China’s Foreign Ministry has voiced their disapproval, stating that “China will take resolute responses and strong countermeasures to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized in response  that “The speaker will make her own decisions about whether or not to visit Taiwan,” and that the US is looking to Beijing to “act responsibly and not to engage in any escalation going forward.”
  • The US has made it clear that members of Congress routinely visit Taiwan and that this trip is non-threatening and has precedent. Even so, some officials have expressed concern that China may invade Taiwan’s air defense zone or send missiles near Taiwan in retaliation.
  • Pelosi has criticized China’s leadership and vocalized support for Taiwan in the past. She is currently on her tour of Asia, with scheduled visits to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan.

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

First Grain Ship Departs Ukraine After Six Months of Russian Blockade

Published

4 months ago

on

2 August 2022

By

Odesa pristav
  • The first shipment of grain departed the port of Odesa on Monday after Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian ports for the last six months trapped around 20 million metric tons of wheat and corn.
  • Russia recently made a deal with Ukraine, brokered by the UN and Turkey, allowing grain exports to resume, appeasing fears of a global food supply crisis and rising prices.
  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba celebrated the shipment, calling it a “day of relief for the world, especially for our friends in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.”
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was more hesitant to celebrate the shipment, stating “it is too early to draw any conclusions and make any forecasts” and he wants to “see how the agreement works and whether security will be really guaranteed.”

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

Concerns Rise As US Teeters on the Brink of Recession

Published

4 months ago

on

1 August 2022

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US Stock Market Investing in the United States
  • The US economy declines for the second quarter in a row, causing, what other countries would consider, an economic recession. 
  • The prices for groceries, gas, and other basics are rising at the fastest pace since 1981. The US Central Bank is quickly trying to raise borrowing costs in order to cool the economy and ease the prices on goods, but with the contraction, at the annual rate of 0.9% in the 3 months to July, many are still getting concerned. 
  • President Biden struggles to convince the public that the economy is sound, with the unemployment rate at a low 3.6%. But with inflation in the US hitting 9.1% in June, the fastest price appreciation in 4 months, consumer spending has slowed at an annual rate of 1%. 
  • Many other countries, such as China and the UK, have been hit harder by the surge in energy prices and the War in Ukraine, causing risks from abroad. Other countries are facing much more serious problems and once they’re hit, their problems can spill over and affect the US. 

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

North Korea Could Possibly Be Preparing another Nuclear Test

Published

4 months ago

on

1 August 2022

By

North Koreas ballistic missile North Korea Victory Day 2013 01
  • North Korea could be preparing a seventh nuclear test, especially after Mr. Kim announced that the country is fully ready for any military confrontation with the US at a Korean War Anniversary event. 
  • A US special representative in North Korea states that Jong-Un has tested an unprecedented number of missiles this year—31 to 25. Jong-Un also stated that threats from the US required North Korea to achieve the urgent historical task of strengthening its self-defense. 
  • Jong-un also stated that South Korea is reviving a plan to counter North Korea’s threat by mounting precautionary strikes; in June alone, South Korea launched 8 missiles of its own.
  • The North Korean regime is especially angry with South Korea’s new president Yoon Suk-yeol and his so-called Kill Chain strategy. This strategy allows South Korea to launch ballistic missiles and air strikes on North Korean targets if it ever feels threatened. 
  • North Korea has also not been getting as much engagement with Washington ever since Biden replaced Trump, and could be hinting at some sort of deliberate escalation by the North, and preparations have been underway at the Punggye Ri test site since March.

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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Daily Brief

Russia Limits Gas Supply to Germany

Published

4 months ago

on

28 July 2022

By

Black Sea port of Theodosiya panoramio
  • Gazprom, a major Russian energy provider, has stated it will reduce the supply of gas to Germany by half via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to repair work. 
  • Germany has said that they see no technical reason for the decrease in gas supply. The European Union continues to accuse Russia of weaponizing energy, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stating, “This is an open gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe.”
  • Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement to allow the export of grain via the Black Sea after Russia continued to block millions of tonnes from being exported. The next day, Russia struck missiles at the port, some of which hit the infrastructure of the port.
  • The US and Ukraine are optimistic that the agreement will still be implemented, with the US State Department stating, “Despite these attacks, we do understand that the parties are continuing preparations to open Ukraine’s Black Sea ports for food and fertilizer exports…we also continue to expect that the Black Sea agreement will be implemented.”

All views expressed in this editorial are solely that of the author, and are not expressed on behalf of The Analyst, its affiliates, or staff.

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