Abe in Mar-a-Lago | Niger Ambush Suspect | Canada's Cuba Diplomats
Council on Foreign Relations Newsletter If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view. April 17, 2018 Daily News Brief TOP OF THE AGENDA Abe and Trump to Talk Trade, North Korea Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins two days of meetings with U.S. President Donald J. Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, today to discuss bilateral trade, upcoming diplomacy with North Korea, and relations with China. A Japanese government spokesperson said the two leaders seek to "solidify a relationship of trust" (Japan Times) during the summit, when Abe is expected to propose a new framework for trade with the United States that could open the door for Washington to join a revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact (Japan News), now known as CPTPP. Abe made his first trip to Florida to meet with Trump (Reuters) last year, while Trump visited Tokyo in November. ANALYSIS "Both Abe and Trump need a political boost. The Abe cabinet's approval rating percentages have dipped precariously into the thirties after new discoveries about the government's handling of two suspicious cases of favorable treatment involving the prime minister and his wife," writes CFR's Sheila A. Smith. "One of Abe's strong suits has been his ability to reassure the Japanese public that his special relationship with the mercurial American president has helped Japan navigate the choppy waters of an 'America First' foreign policy," Mireya Solis writes for the Brookings Institution. "The honeymoon between Trump and Abe seems to be ending. As Trump seeks direct talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Japanese cooperation becomes less important," Takeshi Kawanami writes for Nikkei Asian Review. PACIFIC RIM China-U.S. Trade Tensions Mount With New Restrictions Beijing announced a temporary antidumping measure against U.S. sorghum imports, requiring shippers to put down a 179 percent deposit (Reuters) as a duty. The move comes a day after Washington banned U.S. sales to Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE (WSJ) for allegedly violating an agreement made last year after it was caught shipping U.S. goods to Iran. CFR's Elizabeth C. Economy writes that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are in a race to the bottom on trade. SOUTH KOREA: Impeached President Park Geun-hye ended an appeal (Yonhap) of her twenty-four-year prison sentence, though a separate appeal will go forward as prosecutors challenge some of the bribery charges of which she was cleared. SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Iran Says It Foiled Plot Near Border With Pakistan An Iranian police officer and two soldiers were killed in an attack in Sistan and Baluchestan Province on Tuesday that Tehran attributed to Pakistan-based militants (IRNA). Ten Iranian guards were killed by militants in the same area (RFE/RL) last April. AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban issued a statement rejecting a call by President Ashraf Ghani for the militant group to participate in October parliamentary and district elections (Tolo), saying that voters were "cheated" in past elections and decisions were ultimately made by U.S. officials. MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA UK Lawmakers Question May Over Syria Strikes Prime Minister Theresa May, while being questioned about her ability to authorize air strikes against Syrian targets without UN or parliamentary authorization, said that waiting for UN authorization would have effectively granted Russia a veto on Britain's foreign policy (Guardian). CFR's John B. Bellinger III looks at questions over the legality of the strikes in Syria. IRAQ: Women perceived to be affiliated with the self-proclaimed Islamic State are subjected to "humiliating collective punishment" in Iraqi refugee camps, including being denied food and water, according to a new report by Amnesty International. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Niger Attack Suspect in Custody, Say Officials Nigerien forces arrested a suspect they believe may have taken part in an ambush last year that killed several U.S. and Nigerien soldiers (NYT). A counterterrorism police unit in the capital city of Niamey are attempting to identify the man. KENYA: Half of Kenya's independent electoral commission quit on Monday (East African), citing a lack of faith in the body's chairperson. EUROPE U.S., UK Issue Warning Over Russia Hacking The two countries warned domestic companies that Russian state-sponsored actors carry out espionage (DHS) and steal intellectual property of the government and private sector. In the past, the governments had not explicitly linked such activity to the Kremlin (VOA). On CFR's Net Politics blog, Erica D. Borghard discusses recent Russian cyber intrusions in U.S. critical infrastructure. POLAND: The European Court of Justice ruled logging in Poland's Bialowieza Forest illegal (Guardian). The decision on the forest, one of the last primeval woodlands in Europe, could lead to multimillion euro fines for the country. AMERICAS Canada Orders Families of Diplomats Out of Cuba Canada recalled the relatives of ten Canadians serving in Cuba who have shown symptoms of brain injury (Globe and Mail). Cuba said it is not behind unexplained ailments reported by Canadian and U.S. diplomats since last year. COLOMBIA: The governor of the Norte de Santander region declared a state of emergency (BBC) as fighting ratcheted up between rival rebel groups, one of which warned civilians to hide to avoid being caught in crossfire (Colombia Reports). UNITED STATES Lawmakers Propose New War Authorization Bill A bipartisan group of senators introduced war authorization legislation that would allow the president to use military force against terrorism suspects. The bill includes a provision for Congress to repeal or modify previous authorizations (Military Times). 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From: dailybrief@e.cfr.org
Date: April 17, 2018 at 10:01PM
