BRI Forum; PRC on Middle East Crisis; Updates to US semiconductor controls; Xi Zhongxun

I am sick today so the newsletter is thin with limited commentary. Apologies, hope to be back to normal Tuesday.

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. BRI Forum - The third Belt and Road Forum convenes Tuesday and Wednesday this week, Xi will give a speech on Wednesday. The biggest foreign VIP attending is Putin, who will also have a separate meeting with Xi.

2. Russia-PRC - In advance of his visit to China Putin gave an interview to CCTV, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Lavrov. As expected there does not appear to be any public daylight between Russia and the PRC on the response to the Hamas terror attacks and Israel’s response.

3. PRC on the Middle East Crisis - The PRC has not condemned Hamas by name, and in call with his Saudi counterpart Wang Yi said that “Israel's actions have gone beyond self-defense and it should heed the call of the international community and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to stop its collective punishment of the pe…