Xi meets with the PLA Information Support Force; Defense Minister not detained; More sanctions over Taiwan arms sales

Summary of today’s Essential Eight:

1. Xi meets Party delegates of the PLA Information Support Force - Xi meet with the delegates to the First Party Congress of the Information Support Force. The four other non-detained members of the Central Military Commission - Zhang Youxia, He Weidong, Liu Zhenli and Zhang Shengmin - accompanied him. The ISF was announced in April. According to the readout of today’s visit: “Xi Jinping pointed out that the Information Support Force is in its initial stage and must comprehensively strengthen its own construction, focusing on fundamental and long-term work to lay a solid foundation for development. He emphasized thoroughly implementing the spirit of the Central Military Commission's Political Work Conference, adhering to the fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute leadership over the military, strengthening the armed forces with Party's innovative theories, deepening ideological rectification by focusing on root ideological issues, s…