Xi Jinping chats with French and German leaders; Two meetings; PRC firm blows up nickel market

Today’s Essential Eight:

1. Two meetings

2. Xi-Macron-Scholz chat on Ukraine

3. More on Ukraine

4. PRC amplifies Russian disinformation about Ukraine labs as information war intensifies

5. US intelligence community threat assessment

6. AmCham China survey shows frustrations

7. UN Human Rights chief going to Xinjiang

8. Nickel blowup

Thanks for reading.