European Council president Charles Michel heads to Beijing on December 1, the latest in a procession of western leaders to seek an audience with Xi Jinping, in a year when the Chinese president has cemented his position as the country’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Notes
US-China talks: Biden and Xi attempt to play down superpower tensions but Ukraine and Taiwan loom large
Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Joe Biden of the United States have held their first face-to-face meeting since 2017.
Ukraine war: Russia U-turns on grain deal after Putin’s attempt at escalation fails
It took four days of determined international diplomacy, spearheaded by Turkey and the UN, for Russia to rejoin a deal allowing for the export of Ukrainian grain to world markets.
Ukraine war: west condemns ‘sham’ referendums in Russian-occupied areas
Polls have closed in four Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine after four days of voting in referendums on their future status. Predictably, the results showed “overwhelming support” for joining Russia.
Ukraine war: Putin calls up more troops and threatens nuclear option in a speech which ups the ante but shows Russia’s weakness
Declaring a partial mobilisation and threatening the use of “lots of Russian weapons” in response to alleged western nuclear blackmail, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has upped the ante once more in his war against Ukraine.
Ukraine war: Putin’s failure will pave the way for China’s rise to pre-eminence in Eurasia
What had been suspected for some time has now come out into the open: China has “concerns” about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Next Ukrainian offensive could bring Russia to negotiating table on Kyiv’s terms
A key question is how a cornered Russian President Vladimir Putin will react to Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes.
Shutting down Nord Stream 1 pipeline shows Russia is running out of options
Russia has shut the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, a key gas supply to Western Europe, and blamed it on sanctions. But Europe has been preparing for this day, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is running out of options.
Ukraine war: the push to recover Kherson in the south is on – will it succeed?
Announcing the start of Kyiv’s offensive in the southern Kherson region, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian soldiers to flee or surrender if they want to survive.