Xi meets with Arab leaders; PBoC official on RMB; US TikTok; Hong Kong verdicts; PRC export controls

I admit to being distracted by the Trump verdict announcement today and so am now running way behind, so today’s commentary is very limited.

I think the Trump conviction may be tricky for propaganda work domestically but useful internationally. On the one hand, it highlights a rotting and fracturing American democracy. On the other hand, it highlights that a former top leader can be arrested, put on trial, judged by jury of peers and convicted, for relatively small acts of corruption, which, especially just five days before the 35th anniversary of June 4, may be a topic policymakers do not want to be the subject of much discussion.

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. Xi’s speech to China-Arab States Cooperation Forum - In his speech Xi proposed "five cooperation frameworks" to step up the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future. His first is a “more dynamic framework for innovation”: 

China will build with the Arab side 10 joint laboratories in such areas as life and h…