The Evening: Trade Negotiations, China’s Carrier, The Chain and More
May 7, 2019
China Agrees to Resume Trade Negotiations
After two days of uncertainty in which President Trump called for the higher tariffs and Chinese officials considered pulling out of the talks, Beijing announced Tuesday that Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington for negotiations starting Thursday, a day later than planned as the WSJ’s Chao Deng and Lingling Wei report.
And, as the Journal reports, U.S. stocks declined sharply Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 600 points before recovering a bit to end the day down about 473 points. Investors reacted to a growing likelihood that the White House will follow through on threats to enact tariffs on Chinese goods later this week.
Dive Deeper: “The Challenges of the ‘Crazy Uncle’ Strategy,” by CSIS’s Scott Kennedy.
New Chinese Aircraft Carrier Revealed
Construction of China’s first full-sized aircraft carrier is well under way at the Jiangnan Shipyard, according to satellite images obtained and analyzed by CSIS’s China Power Project. Dubbed the Type 002, China’s new aircraft carrier is fitted with a catapult launch system to accelerate aircraft during takeoff, as Reuters’ Greg Torode and Ben Blanchard report.
Dive Deeper: “Tracking the Type 002 – China’s Third Aircraft Carrier,” by CSIS’s China Power Project.
U.S. Disrupts Arctic Accord
Under pressure from the United States, the eight member states of the Arctic Council issued a short joint statement on Tuesday that excluded any mention of climate change, the first time since its formation in 1996 that the council had been unable to issue a joint declaration spelling out its priorities, as the NYT’s Somini Sengupta reports.
Dive Deeper: “The Implications of U.S. Policy Stagnation toward the Arctic Region,” by CSIS’s Heather Conley and Matthew Melino.
Enroll for Fall
Now enrolling for the Fall, CSIS & Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs offer a new Executive Master's in International Relations. Information here.
Video Shorts
Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify” and “High Resolution.” In under 90 seconds, CSIS experts tell you what they told Congress in testimony, or use high-resolution satellite images and advanced mapping to break down national security issues. And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!
In That Number
500
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar after investigating a massacre of 10 Rohingya men in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in 2017, walked free from prison on Tuesday after more than 500 days behind bars.
Source: Reuters
Critical Quote
“The Arctic is at the forefront of opportunity and abundance. ”
— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
iDeas Lab
CSIS’s China Power Project launched a new feature today on the construction of China’s third aircraft carrier – the Type 002. Check out the satellite imagery and analysis here.
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: Brendan Smialowski/AFP). President Trump and Tiger Woods yesterday afternoon in the Rose Garden.
Recommended Reading
"The Belt and Road Initiative: Views from Washington, Moscow, and Beijing," from Carnegie's Feng Yujun, Alexander Gabuev, Paul Haenle, Ma Bin, and Dmitri Trenin.
This Town Tomorrow
At 8:30 a.m., join CSIS for a conversation with Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), chairman of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, on the role of Congress in crafting and enacting trade policy.
Later, at 1:30 p.m., stay at CSIS for a discussion with Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran, on the impact of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA.
And, at 3:30 p.m., CSIS will hold a panel discussion to discuss the relevance of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) commitment in the context of Venezuela.
Video
CSIS today hosted a discussion on the U.S. Army's new report, Army Air and Missile Defense 2028. Defense experts explored the report, the Army's priorities, and expected future developments. Watch the full video here.
Podcasts
Take As Directed brings you commentary and perspectives from some of the leading voices in global health and CSIS Global Health Policy Center in-house experts. In this episode, CSIS's Nellie Bristol sits down with public health experts to discuss the Global Vaccine Action Plan.
Listen on SoundCloud & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
“And if, you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain”
“Gold Dust Woman” and Stevie Nicks was fun yesterday. Another “Rumours” track that I love is “The Chain,” featuring Lindsey Buckingham’s haunting lead vocals and guitar.