Xi’s diplomacy with Sri Lanka and Vietnam; Cleaning up the IPO underwriting process; Chip controls, sanctions and entity listings; TikTok

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. Xi’s diplomacy with Sril Lanka and Vietnam - He met Wednesday with the President of Sri Lanka, who made his first visit since entering office to India and now a month later has come to China. Sri Lanka needs PRC money, and it is not clear how much they will get out of this trip . Xi also held a phone call with Vietnam’s General Secretary To Lam. The call came a day after the PRC and Vietnam Foreign Ministers met in Beijing as part of a strategic consultation mechanism that spans diplomacy, defense and public security. The PRC readout of the Xi-To call twice mentioned “promoting the development of socialist cause”. Is To looking to Xi for guidance about how to improve governance in a one party Socialist system to ensure political security for the party and its leaders?

2. Ministry of Public Security vows to rescue citizens trapped overseas - The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) responded to the online uproar about the missing PRC citizens believed…