Daily Brief: China Sends Special Envoy to North Korea

Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. November 17, 2017 Daily News Brief   TOP OF THE AGENDA China Sends Special Envoy to North Korea Beijing dispatched a high-level envoy to Pyongyang (CNN) on Friday, the first such visit this year. U.S. President Donald J. Trump hailed the trip as a "big move." China gave few details about the trip, which is to be made by Song Tao, including whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (AP), though Song is expected to report on the Chinese Communist Party's congress last month. On Thursday, China's foreign ministry again called for a "freeze for freeze" agreement in which the United States and South Korea would suspend military exercises (Reuters) in exchange for North Korea halting its nuclear program. The statement appeared to contradict Trump's announcement earlier this week that he and Xi would not accept such a deal. ANALYSIS "A lull in nuclear tests by North Korea since September has led to speculation, particularly in South Korea, that the North may be open to negotiations. But Chinese officials have been careful not to publicly encourage such assumptions," Jane Perlez writes for the New York Times. "There's a strong debate within China amongst the political elites on whether China's policy of prioritizing stability on the Korean peninsula—as opposed to denuclearization—is really in China's interest," CFR's Patricia M. Kim said in an interview with Al Jazeera. "When Washington rejects any deal short of complete denuclearization, and dismisses Pyongyang's proposals of suspending nuclear and missile tests as tactics for buying time, Beijing believes that a political solution starting with such a freeze still exists," Tong Zhao writes for the Atlantic. PACIFIC RIM UN Urges Myanmar to Give Rohingya Citizenship A UN human rights committee has approved a resolution calling on Myanmar to facilitate the return of Rohingya refugees (AP) and grant the persecuted Muslim minority full citizenship rights. China, Laos, the Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam voted against the measure. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Three Thousand More U.S. Troops Deployed to Afghanistan A deployment of additional U.S. troops authorized by U.S. President Donald J. Trump brings the number of U.S. servicemen in Afghanistan (TOLO) to about fourteen thousand. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie has requested sixteen thousand troops overall (RFE/RL); NATO allies have pledged new troop deployments to make up the gap. CFR's John B. Bellinger III discusses presidential war powers on the President's Inbox. INDIA: Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, 82, announced that he has appointed emissaries to travel and speak on his behalf (VOA) for an indefinite period of time, citing exhaustion.  MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Israel's Military Chief Seeks Regional Cooperation Against Iran Israeli General Gadi Eisenkot told a Saudi newspaper that his country is willing to share intelligence with "moderate" Arab states, such as Saudi Arabia, to counter Iran, which he called the greatest threat in the region (Guardian). YEMEN: Fifty thousand children in Yemen are believed to have died from hunger and disease (AP) this year, according to the charity Save the Children. The organization said a continuing blockade by a Saudi-led coalition will likely increase the child mortality rate there. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Mugabe Makes Public Appearance After Military Takeover Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe spoke at a graduation ceremony in the capital of Harare, his first public appearance since a military takeover earlier this week (Al Jazeera). U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is set to meet with dozens of African foreign ministers (Reuters) in Washington on Friday, a day after the State Department said it will seek a transition to a "new era for Zimbabwe." CFR's John Campbell writes in Foreign Affairs that the military coup will not lead to reform in Zimbabwe. SOUTH SUDAN: U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this week that the United States must take a side in the South Sudan conflict (VOA), adding that the government bears primary responsibility for atrocities. EUROPE Catalan Leaders to Appear in Belgian Court Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and four of his ministers will appear in a Belgian court on Friday for a hearing regarding an arrest warrant issued by Madrid (VOA). Spain seeks to try the deposed regional officials for sedition and rebellion over their role in an October independence referendum. RUSSIA: Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution to extend a probe into chemical weapons attacks in Syria. It is the tenth time Russia has used its veto in favor of the Syrian government (BBC) since the war's start. AMERICAS Venezuelan Prosecutor Makes Plea to ICC Venezuela's ousted chief prosecutor called on the Hague-based International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for President Nicolas Maduro and several other top officials for crimes against humanity, charging that eight thousand people have been murdered on the orders of the state (LAHT) since 2015. PARAGUAY: A judge in Paraguay authorized the extradition of Nicolas Leoz (BBC), a former president of South America's soccer confederation, to the United States, where he is under investigation for money laundering and bribery. UNITED STATES U.S. Moves to Develop Banned Missile The Pentagon threatened to develop a missile (WSJ) banned by a Cold War–era accord known as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, alleging that Moscow is in violation of the pact. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the United States seeks to bring Russia "back into compliance." This CFR Backgrounder looks at the state of the INF Treaty. A Senate committee accused White House advisor Jared Kushner of failing to hand over emails (NYT) sought in its investigation of Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This CFR Backgrounder lays out the issues surrounding Trump, Russia, and the election.         Council on Foreign Relations — 58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 CFR does not share email addresses with third parties. Forward This Email | Subscribe to CFR Newsletters | Unsubscribe - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org

Date: November 17, 2017 at 11:00PM