THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (USA): The U.S. finally has a strategy to compete with China. Will It Work? The strategy is a three-legged stool consisting of tariffs, security restrictions and tech subsidies. The new tariffs President Biden announced last week aren’t economically significant. Symbolically, they are huge. The U.S. buys almost no electric vehicles, steel or semiconductors—all targets of the tariffs—from China. But, by adding to, rather than rescinding, tariffs imposed in 2018 by former President Donald Trump, it signals that the decoupling of the Chinese and U.S. economies is becoming irreversible.
GLOBAL TIMES (CHINA): Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday called for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation members to maintain their strategic autonomy, solidarity and cooperation and never allow external forces to turn the region into a geopolitical arena. Wang made the remarks at a meeting of the SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs that was held in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday. Wang said that currently as the international situation is turbulent and changing, a few countries are pursuing hegemony and power, forming small cliques, establishing hidden rules, engaging in interference and suppression, “decoupling and cutting off ties”, and even assisting the “three forces” in the region, with the aim of suppressing the strategic autonomy of the “Global South” and blocking the revitalization path of emerging markets and developing countries. The “three forces” that Wang mentioned in his remarks refer to terrorism, separatism and religious extremism.
SOUTH CHINA MORNNG POST (HONG KONG, CHINA): Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Kazakhstan in July, Russia’s top diplomat said during a meeting with China’s foreign minister on Monday. It will be the second meeting between the top leaders of China and Russia in about two months, after Xi hosted Putin in a state visit in China, both vowing to expand political, diplomatic, economic and military ties amid increasing pressure from the West. Foreign ministers Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov hold talks on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; vow to expand ties. Beijing and Moscow should ‘maintain security and stability in the common Chinese-Russian neighbourhood’, Wang says.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN (JAPAN): Xi should rethink his aggressive, unyielding policy toward Taiwan. The perennial tensions between Taiwan and China, which are fraught with security risks, could significantly affect peace and prosperity not only in Asia but also around the world.
THE WASHINGTON TIMES (USA): Tech leaders pledge allegiance to America in fight with China: “Silicon Valley’s neutrality is over”. Much of the American tech industry is lining up with the federal government to develop a comprehensive U.S. response to China’s military-civil fusion, a policy that has forced cooperation between businesses and the communist government in Beijing.
ASHARQ AL-AWSAT (GB): Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said China is a partner in the ongoing economic transformation in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030, pointing to abundant opportunities for growth and cooperation. Al-Jadaan and his Chinese counterpart Lan Fo’an chaired the third meeting of the Financial Subcommittee of the Saudi-Chinese High-Level Joint Committee, which was held in Beijing. The participants discussed many topics, including macroeconomic conditions and policies, in addition to bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the Kingdom and China. Al-Jadaan stressed that the committee is an important platform to boost cooperation between Riyadh and Beijing, and comes as a continuation of the long and fruitful cooperation between the two countries on financial and economic issues at the bilateral and multilateral levels. He also noted that China has become a major partner for the Kingdom’s economic transformation.
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: US indicates initial satisfaction with changes to Israeli military plans for Rafah. Senior Biden official suggests updated IDF operations add pressure on Hamas, may help revive hostage talks, says nuclear piece of near-final Saudi deal “very much in our interests”. Israel has been updating its plans for a military offensive in Rafah in a manner that has been initially satisfactory to the US, a senior Biden administration official said Tuesday. “It’s fair to say that the Israelis have updated their plans. They’ve incorporated many of the concerns that we have expressed,” the official said, while stopping short of fully green-lighting the IDF offensive during a briefing with reporters.
KOMMERSANT (RUSSIA): Боевые действия в секторе Газа стали одной из ключевых предвыборных проблем для президента США Джо Байдена и могут стоить ему переизбрания на новый срок. Как показал последний замер настроений избирателей, поддержка политики господина Байдена по отношению к Израилю упала до рекордно низкого уровня. Даже среди демократического электората американский лидер находит все меньше понимания по этому внешнеполитическому вопросу. И попытки поддержать Израиль, и попытки оказать на него давление приводят к одному и тому же итогу — снижению популярности президента США.
L’ORIENT – LE JOUR (LEBANON): Mis au pied du mur, Netanyahu face à la frustration de son cabinet de guerre. Confronté à une pression domestique et internationale accrue, le Premier ministre israélien pourrait légèrement changer de cap. Le cabinet de guerre israélien finira-t-il par imploser ? Depuis plus de sept mois, jamais Benjamin Netanyahu n’avait été contesté à ce point par les deux membres qui siègent à ses côtés au sein de ce gouvernement d’urgence, mis en place en octobre.
AL-AHRAM (EGYPT): Egypt prioritizes national security and Palestinian rights even amid treaty obligations. Egypt’s commitment to its international obligations and treaties does not stop it from protecting its national security and upholding the historical rights of the Palestinian people, a high-level source told Al-Qahera News TV channel on Tuesday. From the very beginning, Cairo’s stance on the Israeli aggression in Gaza has been firm, the source added, stressing that Egypt has warned Israel about the consequences of the escalation in the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the source asserted that the Israeli media claims about any form of coordination with Israel concerning its military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah are false, affirming that Egypt has rejected any such coordination.
INDEPENDENT (GB): Russia begins nuclear drills in response to “provocative statements”. It was the first time Russia has publicly announced drills involving tactical nuclear weapons. The exercises were announced by Russian authorities this month in response to remarks by senior Western officials about the possibility of deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. According to the ministry's statement, the first stage of the new drills envisioned “practical training in the preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” including nuclear-capable Kinzhal and Iskander missiles.
LES ECHOS (FRANCE): Ursula von der Leyen participait mardi 21 mai à Bruxelles à un débat électoral comme cheffe de file des conservateurs du PPE, face à plusieurs de ses rivaux, mais à un moment a repris sa casquette de présidente de la Commission européenne. Alors que les deux animateurs du Financial Times et de l’institut Bruegel avaient porté la discussion sur le terrain de la sécurité économique et des instruments de défense commerciale, Ursula von der Leyen a indiqué que l’UE imposerait aux véhicules électriques chinois des droits de douane “plus ciblés” que ceux des Etats-Unis, si des aides d’Etat illégales de Pékin étaient prouvées.
POLITICO (USA): Fear and violence wreck Macron’s EU election campaign. The French president wants to run a pro-European message but teen killings, shootings and deadly protests have fueled the far-right. Emmanuel Macron is facing a perfect storm. Over the past few weeks, teenager-on-teenager killings, drug-related shootings, a heightened terror threat and deadly protests in the overseas territory of New Caledonia have dominated the airwaves, spelling trouble for the French president and his European election campaign. Macron is trying to persuade voters to support his pro-EU vision for a strong bloc with France at its center. But he’s already fighting an uphill struggle, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) consolidating its substantial lead over Macron’s party in the polls. Now, the succession of headlines about security fears have further derailed Macron’s strategy as the June 9 European Parliament election draws near.
LE MONDE (FRANCE): A Téhéran, des dizaines de milliers d’Iraniens rassemblés pour les funérailles de l’utraconservateur Ebrahim Raïssi. Les habitants de Téhéran ont reçu des messages sur leur téléphone les appelant à “assister aux funérailles du martyr”. Le Guide suprême de la République islamique, l’ayatollah Ali Khamenei, doit diriger la prière à la cérémonie d’adieu.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (USA): Iran’s use of proxy warfare likely to persist, experts say. The sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi is not expected to affect the actions of groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis, which are vital to Iran’s power. While uncertainty surrounds political succession in Iran after its president and foreign minister died in a helicopter crash, analysts say it is unlikely their deaths will alter the country’s projection of power through heavily armed allied groups in the Middle East. Those groups — Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, multiple militias in Iraq and Hamas in the Palestinian territories — are central to Iran’s ability to wield influence far beyond its borders despite being under strict economic sanctions for decades.
THE TIMES OF INDIA: North Korea’s cult of personality appears to have entered a new phase by elevating the portrait of Kim Jong Un next to that of his grandfather and father, showing him in a similar status as its two former leaders regarded as demigods at home. Photos released by the official media Wednesday showed Kim speaking to officials at a classroom of the new Central Cadres Training School under the portraits of himself, state founder Kim Il Sung and his father Kim Jong Il. Kim Jong Un has been in power for about a dozen years but has not set up any festivities to celebrate his birthday, let alone publish it. He meanwhile appears to be readjusting some of the celebrations for his predecessors.
THE WASHINGTON POST (USA): With Europe’s support, North African nations push migrants to the desert. Europe has backed aggressive operations by governments in North Africa that lead to migrants being dumped in barren deserts, a joint investigation shows.
IZVESTIA (RUSSIA): Цена нефти марки Brent может опуститься ниже $80 за баррель в ближайший месяц, считают эксперты. С конца апреля стоимость сырья снизилась уже на $8, до $82 за бочку. Опасения игроков связаны с замедлением роста экономик развитых стран, отмечают аналитики. При этом ослабло действие политического фактора — конфликт на Ближнем Востоке перешел в затяжную фазу, что не дает ценам существенного импульса.
NIKKEI (JAPAN): Pakistan moves to sell national airline Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in test case for privatization drive. Dozens of state enterprises on auction block as IMF calls for end of subsidies.
THE ECONOMIC TIMES (INDIA): Indian counter-terror team to help France with Paris Olympics. Officials familiar with the matter have disclosed that India is poised to offer its expertise in security measures to France for the forthcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled to take place in Paris in July 2024. Both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs engaged in extensive deliberations with their French counterparts. A consensus was reached between the two sides to dispatch a delegation comprising experts in counterterrorism and homeland security to Paris prior to the commencement of the major event.