Xi-Putin; Kishida in Kyiv; Tsai's US itinerary; TikTok; Chips

Summary of the Essential Eight:

1. Xi-Putin meetings -Xi and Putin signed two statements today, one very long titled “Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for the New Era” and a short one titled “Pre-2030 Development Plan on Priorities in China-Russia Economic Cooperation. I have yet to find full english translations for either. The longer one does not read to me like there is any real daylight between the two; rather it seems an intensification and broadening of the relationship, in large part in service of revising the global order. The section on Ukraine seems no different than what the PRC side has been saying for a while. I think we should expect things to get much grimmer. I hope I am wrong and please tell me I am.

2. Some reporting and commentary on the Xi-Putin meetings

3. Japanese PM visits Ukraine - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Ukraine while Xi was in Russia.

4. AP on the exit from dynamic zero-Covid - AP has a long report with lots more detai…