Global Political Communications Daily
September 3, 2021

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‘I love him more than I hate Ted Cruz’

TOP FIVE

1. China to create new stock exchange for smaller companies

2. EU mulls reaction force after Kabul evacuation

3. UK defense secretary suggests US no longer superpower

4. Yemen: Dozens killed as fighting renews

5. Mayor of Rome sues local region over wild boar ‘invasion’

ASIA

SCMP: South China Sea: Beijing’s foreign ships move ‘may go the same way as ADIZ’

+ A new requirement for foreign vessels entering Chinese waters to report ship and cargo information may be difficult to enforce, observers say

+ Countries contesting waters with China or challenging its claims are likely to disregard the regulation, they predict

China’s ghost cities are finally stirring to life after years of empty streets: Vast new urban districts that stood vacant are gaining residents and businesses.
Bloomberg

China’s crackdown is not the way to deal with video games: Escapist entertainment can have real social and mental benefits if used wisely.
John Thornhill

China’s law restricting video gaming for kids isn’t wise — it’s misdirected moral panic
Rachel Kowert

China announces plan for 'innovation-driven' stock exchange in Beijing: Beijing has said it wants to foster small and medium-sized businesses by setting up a third stock exchange in Beijing. The move comes despite an ongoing regulatory crackdown on China's biggest tech companies.
DW

China to create new stock exchange in Beijing for smaller companies: Xi: Market to be mainland's third after Shanghai and Shenzhen, but no time frame set for opening.
Nikkei

SCMP: China to set up mainland’s third stock exchange in Beijing as Xi Jinping promises to set up more digital trade zones

+ Chinese President tells International Fair for Trade in Services that boosting the country’s service sector can help the post-Covid global recovery

+ Recent moves by Beijing such as a tech crackdown and anti-sanctions law have hit investor confidence but Xi says the country ‘wants to work with all sides’

China says US tensions threaten fight against climate change: Washington blamed for worsening ties as Kerry visits Tianjin to push emissions cuts.
FT

Kerry calls on China to do more to tackle climate change crisis as China warns US pressure will derail cooperation
WP

China warns Kerry climate cooperation depends on overall ties: US climate envoy says talks in China were constructive, detailed.
WSJ

SCMP: Don’t expect an easy life and be ready to struggle, Chinese President Xi Jinping warns officials

+ The Chinese leader tells cadres at the Central Party School that the ‘risks and challenges we face are conspicuously increasing’

+ Xi’s comments about the need to fight to protect national security come amid ongoing tensions with the United States

Paul Kennedy on whether China’s rise means America’s fall: Changes in global politics, armed forces, and economics means America has a new contender for supremacy, writes a historian of great powers.
Economist

SCMP: Beijing calls on France to ‘eliminate interference’ and push for better EU-China ties

+ Foreign Minister Wang Yi tells diplomatic adviser to the president that Paris should push to repair relations when it takes over rotating presidency of bloc

+ Remarks come ahead of a European Union meeting on Friday when China’s assertive posturing is expected to be high on the agenda

+ Singapore’s stock exchange became the first major bourse in Asia to allow special purpose acquisition companies to list.

Will Japan's election year stock gains hold true under Suga? Approaching vote gives investors a fresh chance to assess the market's fundamentals.
Nikkei

The microfinance debt crisis that is crushing Cambodia: International development agencies must act to protect borrowers' human rights.
Naly Pilorge

EUROPE

Afghan debacle doesn’t mean European military advance: Confusion and dissension still cloud efforts to increase EU’s defense clout.
Politico

AFP: Proposals for an EU army re-emerge after Afghan pullout – but many remain ‘hard to convince’

AFP: EU mulls reaction force after Kabul evacuation

Is the fall of Kabul the kick European defense needs? Laments and lessons learned: Afghanistan has provided another stark assessment of EU military autonomy. Teri Schultz looks at how Brussels is trying to build (itself) back better.
DW

EU NGOs to boycott media events sponsored by fossil fuel firms: The outlets targeted include Politico Europe.
Politico

France’s provocateur is coming to London
Jonathan Miller

With eye on polls, Macron unveils plan to tackle Marseille crime
Bloomberg

AFP: Macron unveils 1.5 bn euro plan for struggling Marseille

5 takeaways from Dominic Raab’s Afghanistan grilling: The foreign secretary faced two hours of questions on his handling of the fall of Kabul — and his holiday.
Politico

‘Britain is not a superpower': an interview with Ben Wallace
Katy Balls

UK defense secretary suggests US is no longer a superpower: Ben Wallace also contrasts his department’s handling of the Afghanistan crisis with the Foreign Office response.
Guardian

Boris Johnson’s fear of Rishi Sunak is a serious danger for the Tories: Divisions between the two will become more exposed as the battle over spending worsens.
Robert Shrimsley

Meet Ben Houchen, the unlikely mayor remaking Teesside—and the Tory party: Winning a staggering 73 percent of the vote this May, Houchen is developing a new kind of Conservatism. No wonder Boris Johnson is obsessed.
Prospect

WhatsApp fined €225m for not telling users how it shared data with Facebook: FT reports Ireland applies one of the largest penalties for GDPR abuses after pressure from other European countries.

German election: SPD makes major gains against Merkel's CDU: With less than four weeks to go, a leading opinion poll has seen the downward trend of the ruling CDU continue. The conservatives have been overtaken by the center-left SPD, which has seen its best poll result in years.
DW

After Angela Merkel: How one woman shaped a generation — and Europe: As Merkel prepares to step down after almost 16 years in power, what do young Germans make of her legacy?
FT

Mayor of Rome sues local region over wild boar ‘invasion’: Five Star Movement’s Virginia Raggi accuses Lazio regional government of failing to tackle the problem.
Guardian

Russia starts to sow seeds of ‘wheat diplomacy’: Food exports bring in welcome dollars to the sanctions-hit economy but could also extend Moscow’s global reach.
FT

NORTH AMERICA

America’s search for a new place in the world begins: From 9/11 to Kabul, two of the most pivotal decades in US history, a story not of a crumbling superpower but a chosen path to turn inwards, for better or worse.
Lionel Barber

US spies didn’t cause Kabul to fall: The Biden administration apparently wants to make a scapegoat out of the intelligence community.
WSJ

+ A new Chicago Council on Global Affairs/Ipsos poll shows 64 percent of Americans support Biden’s decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan, with 34 percent in opposition. Those numbers track with other surveys in recent weeks indicating the public largely favors ending the war in Afghanistan, despite the withdrawal’s chaotic scenes.

Liz Cheney appointed vice chair of select committee investigating Jan. 6 Capitol attack
WP

‘I love him more than I hate Ted Cruz’: In Texas, the Democrats’ hope for the governorship, or a Senate seat, rests on the shoulders of Beto O’Rourke. But does he even have a shot?
Politico

'A political wild card': California governor Newsom fights for survival: Backers worry that Democrat risks defeat in recall election due to lack of enthusiasm among voters.
FT

What Gary Gensler really meant with his order flow remarks: The SEC chair is taking aim at market makers like Citadel and Virtu, not Robinhood and other brokers.
Aaron Brown

REST OF THE WORLD

Yemen: Dozens killed as fighting renews near northern city of Marib: At least 65 combatants have died in recent days as hostilities in Yemen became deadlier than they have been in months. Houthi fighters are hoping to capture the last government stronghold in the country's north.
DW


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Caracal