On the trial of #JimmyLai, which started today in Hong Kong, a few thoughts. First, the trial lays bare what should be obvious to all CEOs & investors: Communist China has shredded Hong Kong's rule of law. There is no difference now between the mainland & the territory. 1/x Second: The CCP's paranoid reaction to Jimmy exposes just how weak the regime in Beijing really is. They are afraid of anyone who inspires genuine popular support & advocates for basic freedoms. Jimmy is a notable martyr but there are countless others who are suffering. 2/x

A few thoughts on today's #APEC2023 meeting. First, it's astounding to see U.S. officials snookered by the same playbook that CCP officials have used for 40+ years; i.e. get tangible benefits for Beijing today in exchange for empty promises to do something in the future. 1/x As @KelleyCurrie has pointed out, China "promised" to curb fentanyl exports to the U.S. in 2018. Anyone see that flow slowing in the following years? Of course not. Remember this tweet? 2/xtrumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-stat…

The more details we learn about Iran-backed attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East, the worse they get. What isn’t DOD telling us? 1/x Take this dispatch from the northern Red Sea. Our Navy spent *9 hours* downing drones & missiles from Iran-backed forces? 2/xdailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…

Mikhail Khodorkovsky shared several important insights about Putin (who jailed him for years) at #ConvTocqueville2022. First: “When his popularity [at home] wanes, he wages war. Four instances: 1999, 2008, 2014, 2022.” 1/x Khodorkovsky argues (rightly) that Kissinger & Macron can’t negotiate successfully from a position of weakness. “Putin’s personal experience is radically different than that of those two men.” i.e. he’s a criminal. 2/x

The other big news from the U.K. yesterday was buried under the Boris circus: MI5 & FBI’s joint press conference about Communist China influence ops. Can’t emphasize enough how important this event was. 1/x The MI5 director’s remarks are worth reading in full. Not a lot of “new” news here, but the public nature of these comments shows the deep concern about CCP malign activity. 2/x mi5.gov.uk/news/speech-by…

Two British cabinet ministers (@RishiSunak & @sajidjavid) just resigned, throwing the Tory-led government into chaos. The only surprise is that it didn’t happen sooner. 1/x Boris Johnson admires Churchill (and wrote a wonderful book on him), but his prime ministership has proved largely devoid of principle and sound management. His greatest asset? His weak political opponents. 2/x

China has built a potential military presence on the Horn of Africa, in the Arabian Sea, in the South China Sea, is working on Antarctica, etc. So this news about a base in West Africa is no surprise. 1/x

https://twitter.com/wsj/status/1467720480488624129

The question is what, if anything, did the U.S. & our partners do to deter this seemingly insatiable appetite of Communist China to expand its military power, now into Equatorial Guinea? What consequence, if any, will be exacted? 2/x

On the Biden-Xi call: CCP strategy clear. Steer U.S. back to dialogue for dialogue's sake. When you hear "economic & trade issues...should not be politicized," that ="ignore our influence ops in your country, trade transgressions, & military aggression and just make $." 1/x CCP propagandists are not "journalists." They are subject to Party diktats. They do not = a reporter from the Western free press. Any deal that allows CCP propagandists more access to the U.S. is not in our national interest. 2/x