Thursday, 16 May 2019

Huawei Hardball

Insights, analysis and must reads from CNN's Fareed Zakaria and the Global Public Square team, compiled by Global Briefing editor Chris Good
 
May 16, 2019

Huawei Hardball

President Trump has taken a swing at Huawei, The Economist writes, after the administration effectively banned Huawei from selling its network technology to US firms or buying components from US makers. The move will pressure European allies to reject Huawei, could be used as a bargaining chip in US-China trade talks, and has made Huawei look newly vulnerable, the magazine writes.

Trump's move could greatly disrupt Huawei's supply chain, Bloomberg's Alex Webb writes—about a third of Huawei's budget is spent on American components—and it should provide an opening for Huawei's competitors. Trump's ban is the latest sign that the US and China are developing technology on separate tracks, writes Reuters' Christopher Beddor, concluding that a "costly technology cold war looks here to stay."

Should Iran Talk to Trump?

Iran stands to lose very little by talking to President Trump, Jamsheed Choksy and Carol Choksy write for CNN, after Trump's exhortation to "call me." While the president's advisers push a hard line on Iran—particularly national security adviser John Bolton, who is widely viewed as driving the current tensions—Trump himself is no ideologue, they write. What he really wants is to make himself look good, and Iran may as well let him; by wooing Trump, and by allowing him to put his own name on a new nuclear agreement, the Iranians might just reap significant benefits.

So far, there no signs Iran will follow that advice; asked about Trump's offer, Iran's deputy foreign minister reportedly said that if there's a need to talk, the US administration already knows what number to call.

A Double Standard on Hate

While governments and social-media platforms eagerly suppress jihadist propaganda, they've been hesitant to crack down on right-wing hate, Bharath Ganesh argues in Foreign Policy. Some, like New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern and France's Emmanuel Macron, are trying to figure out how to fight it, but a sad fact remains: Right-wing ideology enjoys links to mainstream politics in Western democracies, and consequently, its suppression generates criticism and a debate about free speech—while cracking down on jihadism rarely does.

What to Make of North Korea's Missile Tests

Kim Jong-Un's recent short-range missile tests send some important signals, Ankit Panda and Vipin Narang write in Foreign Affairs: They tell North Korean hardliners that Kim remains committed to national defense, even as he negotiates with Washington, and they tell the US that Kim is serious about an end-of-year deadline for the US to change its stance in nuclear talks. If Washington ignores that deadline, bigger provocations could be on the way, they write.

The missiles themselves were noteworthy, and we shouldn't discount them simply because they can't cross the Pacific, Duyeon Kim and Melissa Hanham write in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The missiles were solid-fueled, which makes them easier to move and conceal. They also can threaten South Korea—"handy tools to later hold South Koreans and Americans living in the South hostage," as the authors describe them.

Renewable Investment Lags

There are some positive trends in global renewable energy investment (it's grown significantly since 2010), but the world still isn't spending enough on renewables to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement, according to the International Energy Agency's latest World Energy Investment report, released this week.

The right-hand bar shows the annual average investment in low-carbon energy and electric grids that will be needed between 2025 and 2030 to meet the Paris goals and UN sustainability benchmarks. From the IEA's report:


Renewables aren't keeping pace with global electricity demand, either, the IEA found:

It's less-encouraging news to keep in mind, as countries struggle to make the switch to clean power.

Share
Tweet
Fwd
unsubscribe from this list

update subscription preferences 


Copyright © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company., All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you subscribed to CNN newsletters.

Our mailing address is:
Cable News Network, Inc. A WarnerMedia Company.
One CNN Center
Atlanta, GA 30303

Add us to your address book


What did you like about today's Global Briefing? What did we miss? Let us know what you think: GlobalBriefing@cnn.com

Sign up to get updates on your favorite CNN Original Series, special CNN news coverage and other newsletters.​
 
Sign Up for Fareed's Global Briefing