Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Monday, 06 May 2024.
- COMPETING NARRATIVES ON XI’S EUROTRIP: Chinese and Western media are pushing two very different narratives about President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe and meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
- Chinese media is focused on Xi Jinping’s statements and hopes for a productive future relationship.
- Western media is focused on President von der Leyen’s threat to tariff Chinese subsidized goods and Macron’s pressure on China’s continued support of Russia in the Ukraine war.
Why It Matters: Europe’s narrative is maintaining a “tough on China” stance reemerging in the West, which verbally counters China’s growth. This is a diplomatic baseline for China, which could cause a further decoupling between China and Europe. This likely means closer ties between the US and Europe in the near to intermediate terms. – J.V.
- Global Rollup
- The Philippine National Security Advisor, Secretary of Defense, and Department of Foreign Affairs released letters rebutting the Chinese claim to a “gentleman’s agreement” involving each of them. The NSA and Defense Secretary also revealed that they ceased contact with the embassy in 2023.
- The Philippine Coast Guard will not retaliate with water cannons against the Chinese Coast Guard lest they risk escalating tensions further, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced over the weekend.
- A Chinese J-10 Fighter released flares less than 1000 feet in front of an Australian Navy helicopter in international waters while Australia was enforcing United Nations sanctions on North Korea on Saturday. No deaths or injuries occurred.
- Israel began evacuating civilians from Rafah as a preliminary step to an invasion of the city.
- Panama elected Jose Mulino as president last night. He ran on making Panama business-friendly again and closing the Darien Gap.
THAT’S A WRAP: This does it for today’s edition. Thank you for reading. If you know folks who would also like to receive this email, would you please forward it to them? We appreciate you spreading the word. – M.S.