AUKUS Security Alliance Exposes EU’s Fecklessness
Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have announced a new tripartite strategic alliance aimed at countering China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Geopolitics
Biden Administration “Surrenders” to Germany on Russian Gas Pipeline
The Biden administration has reached an agreement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that allows for the completion of a controversial natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
European Parliament Freezes Ratification of China Investment Treaty
The European Parliament has halted ratification of a controversial investment treaty with China until Beijing lifts sanctions on European lawmakers, academics and think tanks. The move, a rare display of fortitude by an institution notorious for vacillation, reflects a hardening stance in Europe toward the Chinese Communist Party.
Nuclear Iran Looms Large
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz estimated that Iran was a year or two away from building a nuclear bomb. His estimate coincided with comments by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said that Iran is just three or four months away from being able to produce enough fissile material to build a nuclear weapon.
Growing Calls for Moving or Boycotting the Beijing Olympics
A growing number of Western lawmakers and human rights groups are calling for a boycott of the next Winter Olympics, set to take place in Beijing in February 2022.
Western Fashion Brands Sued for Using Forced Labor in China
Four major European and American apparel and footwear manufacturers have been sued in a French court for allegedly using forced labor in Xinjiang, a mostly Muslim region in northwestern China.
China Boycotts Western Companies Over Uyghurs
The Chinese government is boycotting Western clothing retailers for expressing concerns about forced labor in Xinjiang, China’s biggest region.
China’s Threat to Free Speech in Europe
The current standoff is, in essence, about the future of free speech in Europe. If notoriously feckless European officials fail to stand firm in the face of mounting Chinese pressure, Europeans who dare publicly to criticize the CCP in the future can expect to pay an increasingly high personal cost for doing so.
The Win-Win Infuriating Iran
Morocco recently established full diplomatic relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, an effort by the United States to forge normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states to build a united front against Iran.
EU-China Investment Deal: “It Spits in the Face of Human Rights”
The European Union has negotiated a controversial trade deal with China. The pact has been widely criticized because European leaders, in their apparent rush to reach an agreement, have sacrificed their professed concern for human rights on the altar of financial gain.
Israel, Lebanon Talk Maritime Borders
Israel and Lebanon recently initiated groundbreaking negotiations to resolve a long-standing maritime border dispute in the eastern Mediterranean. Resolution of the dispute could lead to developing the potentially lucrative natural gas fields that would benefit both sides.
U.S. “Driving Stake Through Heart” of German-Russian Pipeline
The United States is ratcheting up the threat of sanctions against European companies in an effort to deal a death blow to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.
