Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Tuesday, 23 July 2024.
- CHINA SEEKS TO USE NPT TO MAKE U.S. UNARMED AND VULNERABLE: China submitted four papers to the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that, if adopted, would result in nuclear disarmament and vulnerability for the United States.
- One of the papers calls for “All countries should abandon the development and deployment of global anti-missile systems, withdraw missiles and anti-missile systems deployed abroad.”
- The papers also call for the cessation of progress on the AUKUS deal and establishing international safeguards without involving the U.S., U.K., or Australia in the negotiations on the basis that the deal provides nuclear material capable of becoming a nuclear weapon. Meanwhile, it advocates support of an Iranian nuclear energy program.
- The NPT is a primary driver of nuclear disarmament, and China’s papers call for “countries with the largest nuclear arsenals should effectively fulfill their special and priority responsibilities for nuclear disarmament, and continue to reduce their nuclear arsenals substantially and substantially in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding manner.”
Why It Matters: The United Nations says the NPT is legally binding, but the U.S. is unlikely to follow through on these measures. If the Conference to the NPT adopts these measures, China would have significant international legal leverage to demand the U.S. disarmament of its nuclear and anti-missile systems. – J.V.
- Global Rollup
- China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi oversaw a diplomatic meeting this morning among 14 Palestinian factions, resulting in a declaration of the Palestinian Liberation Organization as the “sole legitimate representative of all Palestinian people.” This includes a reconciliation between rival factions, Hamas and Fatah.
- The Pentagon reports increased Sino-Russian Arctic cooperation in the U.S. Arctic Strategy 2024, released yesterday. This cooperation includes Chinese funding of Russian natural gas products, joint naval missions, and reactivating “Soviet-era installations.” Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to the report that “Russian-Chinese cooperation is never directed against third countries or groups of third countries, but is aimed only at protecting the interests of [Russia and China].”
- Israel approved its first reading of a bill to sever ties with and declare the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) a terrorist organization.
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.