China-Central Asia Summit; Report slams US coercive diplomacy; Li Hui in Ukraine; Financial regulator launches; Covid second wave
Summary of today’s top items:
Leaders gather for the China-Central Asia Summit - The PRC may prefer that the war in Ukraine end, but it does have some benefits for China, including accelerating the diminution of Russia’s influence and reputation in Central Asia. Putin can not be pleased with the China-Central Asia Summit, which is again making clear that China is the future for these countries, and Russia is the past. And the selection of the location - Xi’an, the start of Silk Road - is a reminder that the future is also linked to the much earlier past.
Report slams US coercive diplomacy - The PRC government has released a long report on the eve of the G-7 claiming that the “US is the actual instigator of coercive diplomacy”. The report “aims to expose the evil deeds of US coercive diplomacy in the world and make the international community better understand the hegemonic and bullying nature of US diplomacy, and the serious damages caused by US actions to the development of all count…