Meloni in Beijing; Wang-Blinken meeting; Sierra Madre resupply; National Internet IDs; CSRC tasks for H2; TikTok
Summary of today’s Essential Eight:
Italian Prime Minister Meloni visits Beijing - PM Meloni met with Xi and Premier Li, as well as joining a forum for PRC and Italian businesses. Xi and his team must be pleased, even though she withdrew Italy from the BRI a few months ago, as another EU leader is making a pilgrimage to try to stabilize ties and increase trade and investment, in spite of all the rhetoric about EU concerns over PRC support for Russia in the war with Ukraine.
EU disputes PRC readout of Wang Yi-Josep Borell meeting - Wang Yi did not improve trust between the PRC and the EU with his meeting with EU High Representative Josep Borrell. The official Xinhua readout contained language that the EU side never said, prompting the issuance of the EU's readout in Chinese and a comment from Borrell. The problematic language was about Palestine - "congratulates China for promoting the reconciliation of Palestinian factions" - and Ukraine "The EU attaches importance to the peace initiat…