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📰 China’s trade boom

📰 China’s trade boom

and UK debates missile use on Russia

Ross Crabtree & Billy Robinson
September 11, 2024

Hello,

Developments from the Middle East prominently feature in today’s dispatch, as central Syria suffers devastating airstrikes, a Khan Younis safe zone is bombed by Israeli forces, and Jordan heads to the polls.

In London, the US Secretary of State and the British Foreign Secretary meet for high-profile discussions on Russia, Ukraine, and Gaza.

China also makes headlines with a significant export surge over the past year and announces upcoming military exercises in the Pacific with Russia later this month.

More details below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇸🇾 🇮🇱 Israel-linked airstrikes in central Syria: Israeli missile strikes in central Syria have killed at least 18 people and injured dozens more, according to Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash. Describing the attack as a "brutal and barbaric aggression," al-Ghabbash reported that nearly 40 individuals were wounded, with most of the victims being civilians. Electricity Minister Mohammad al-Zamel added that the strikes caused "significant" damage to both water and power infrastructure. The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, also sparked a fire near the city of Masyaf in Hama province, state news agency SANA reported. Israel has frequently carried out air raids in Syria throughout the country's 13-year war, often targeting Iran-linked sites. Israeli jets typically launch strikes from Lebanese airspace to avoid Syrian air defences. This latest assault occurs amid heightened regional tensions, with Iranian officials still vowing retaliation for the July assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Despite Iran's threats of "harsh punishment" for Israel, no Iranian response has materialised over 40 days later.

2️⃣ 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 US and UK hold high-profile talks in London, focusing on Russia, Ukraine, and Gaza: Moscow’s shadow fleet transporting oil under Western sanctions, Ukraine’s request to use UK-supplied missiles against Russia, and a potential revised US ceasefire plan for Gaza will headline the upcoming US-UK talks in London. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, the highest-level US visit to the UK since Labour's election win. The meeting precedes discussions between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer later this week. Starmer aims to counter concerns that his stance on the conflict is softer than the previous government’s. Despite Starmer’s "call to action" at the July EPC summit, urging action against Russia’s covert oil fleet, little progress has been made in curbing the tanker activity. Discussions will also cover Ukraine's push to use UK-supplied missiles on Russian soil, and potential security guarantees for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants Israeli forces to remain along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

3️⃣ 🇨🇳 Chinese exports rise by 8.7% since last August: China's exports surged in August—growing at the fastest rate in 17 months—driven in part by early shipments to the European Union. Export values increased by 8.7% year-on-year to US$308.65 billion, up from July’s 7% growth, according to customs data. This rise exceeded the 7.04% forecast by Chinese financial provider Wind, benefiting from a low base as exports had dropped 8.8% in the same period last year. In contrast, import growth slowed significantly, rising just 0.5% in August compared to 7.2% in July. Gary Ng, senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Banking, noted, “China’s trade data reflects strong export competitiveness but weak domestic demand. With global inflation soaring, Chinese firms are seeking higher profit margins through exports."

4️⃣ 🇨🇴 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 🇭🇳 Latin America the epicentre of the nearly 200 environmental defenders killed last year, report reveals: At least 196 people were killed in 2023 for defending the environment, with over a third of these deaths occurring in Colombia, according to new data from Global Witness. The report highlights how activists, from those opposing mining projects to Indigenous communities resisting organised crime, faced deadly threats. On average, one environmental defender was killed every two days. Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and Honduras were the most dangerous countries, accounting for over 70% of global killings. While identifying a direct cause for these deaths is often challenging, Global Witness found mining to be the most deadly sector, responsible for 25 fatalities last year. Many perpetrators remain unpunished. “As the climate crisis worsens, those bravely speaking up to protect our planet face escalating violence and intimidation," said Laura Furones, the report’s lead author. "The persistently high number of killings is unacceptable.” Indigenous communities were disproportionately affected, comprising 43% of those killed. Since Global Witness began tracking these incidents in 2012, a total of 2,106 environmental defenders have been murdered worldwide.

5️⃣ 🇯🇴 Jordan goes to the polls: Jordanian citizens are voting today in historic parliamentary elections for the 138-seat lower house, the first since the 2022 constitutional amendments aimed at fostering political reform. These amendments, based on recommendations from the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System, emphasise greater roles for political parties and increased women's representation in the House of Representatives. Experts predict that the reforms may not drastically change Jordan’s political landscape but could offer incremental improvements. However, voter turnout is expected to be low, especially as Jordan faces a tense political environment due to Israel’s war on Gaza and economic challenges such as high unemployment. Historically, turnout has been especially low among Jordanian citizens of Palestinian descent—many of whom are descendants of the Palestinians forced out of their lands in both the Nakba and the 1967 war—with only 10 percent participation in the 2020 elections in Amman.

Major Story

🇵🇸 🇮🇱 KHAN YOUNIS HUMANITARIAN ZONE BOMBED BY ISRAELI FORCES, KILLING DOZENS

An Israeli attack on Gaza’s "humanitarian zone" in al-Mawasi during Tuesday’s early hours has resulted in at least 40 deaths and 60 injuries, according to Gaza's civil defence. The assault targeted at least 20 tents housing displaced Palestinians, with the number of affected shelters potentially rising to 40. Witnesses reported that five rockets hit the area, creating craters up to nine metres deep in what was formerly a displacement camp.

The Israeli army claimed it struck a Hamas command centre disguised within the humanitarian area in Khan Younis, asserting that measures were taken to minimise civilian harm through precision weaponry, aerial surveillance, and intelligence. No evidence was provided to substantiate this claim. Gaza’s civil defence described the attack as one of the most devastating since the onset of the war, citing the use of “heavy concussion missiles.”

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 40,900 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry. In the aftermath, footage shows Palestinians frantically searching for loved ones in deep craters, with entire families reportedly lost. Nearly the entire population of Gaza, about 2.3 million people, has been displaced multiple times due to Israeli attacks, many seeking refuge in the so-called "humanitarian zone" in the southern part of the enclave. This area has been progressively reduced by Israel, which claims that parts of it were used by Hamas, leading to further displacement and continued bombings in the remaining zones.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇪🇺 🇮🇷 🇷🇺 The European Union alleges Iran missile shipment to Russia: The EU has reported evidence suggesting that Iran is supplying ballistic missiles to Russia. Iran has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that it does not provide arms to either side in the conflict. The news comes as Russia intensifies its bombing campaign against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in preparation for the winter. Additionally, Russia is making advances in eastern Ukraine, aiming to capture the strategic logistics hub of Pokrovsk.

2️⃣ 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 Beijing and Moscow to conduct joint naval, air drills: China announced on Monday that Russia will take part in a major military exercise later this month in the Pacific Ocean. The North-Joint 2024 exercise will see Russian naval and air forces join their Chinese counterparts in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. China’s Ministry of National Defense stated that the drill aims to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two nations' militaries and improve their ability to respond to security threats. The exercise will also include a fifth joint maritime patrol by the Russian and Chinese navies. Additionally, China will participate in the Ocean-2024 strategic exercise, organised by Moscow. These joint exercises highlight the growing strategic partnership between China and Russia and are seen by analysts as a response to the increasing US military presence in the region.