Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace plan to leaders at the Arab League summit last Friday and asked them to work with Ukraine directly, without intermediaries. Zelenskyy called on some Arab leaders to "take an honest look" at the war in Ukraine and accused them of ignoring Russia's invasion of his country. Leaders from Arab states largely remain neutral over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and many maintain close ties to Moscow. Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia was designed to enhance bilateral relations and Ukraine’s ties with the Arab world. Earlier that week, G7 leaders said they had ensured Ukraine had the budget support it needs for this year and early 2024 and had announced plans to further tighten existing sanctions against Russia over the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly planning to attend the G7 summit in Japan in order to gain strengthened support ahead of a planned counter-offensive in the ongoing conflict with Russia. Zelensky is expected to arrive in Hiroshima on Sunday, although his office has not yet confirmed the visit. The leaders of the G7 nations have renewed their condemnation of Russia and announced further sanctions. Zelensky has recently visited several European countries and made an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia, where he urged Arab leaders to help facilitate the return of political prisoners in Russian-occupied territories.
Five TikTok users in the US have filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana, claiming that the ban on the app is unconstitutional and suppresses free speech. Montana’s governor recently passed a law prohibiting people from downloading TikTok onto their personal phones, claiming that it was necessary to protect citizens’ personal data from Chinese data collection efforts. The lawsuit is significant for the wider debate about the app’s right to operate in the US, given that it marks the first time a Western territory has banned TikTok for personal use.
As the world waits for Ukraine’s spring offensive against Russia, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been on a diplomatic tour, visiting Germany, France, Italy, the Vatican, and Britain. Recently, Zelenskyy travelled to Saudi Arabia to meet Arab leaders and secure their support. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, is facing significant international isolation amidst the International Criminal Court arrest warrant that hangs over his head, with his travel prospects dwindling including to Moscow alliances. Putin's invasion of Ukraine made him an international pariah, and many now speculate Ukraine may take its turn in the spotlight. Although conflicting information arose as to whether Zelenskyy would attend the G7 summit in Japan, it would be of significant geopolitical and symbolic significance for Ukraine. European leaders promised Ukraine missiles, tanks, and drones while the conversation of getting fighter jets continues. Zelenskyy's appearance at the Arab League summit in Jeddah highlighted Ukraine's struggle for support, even in countries whose alliances are with Moscow. It is the beginning of a larger shift in perception that could translate into potential support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Arab League summit in Jeddah. The two discussed Zelensky's peace plan, the security situation in Ukraine and possible investments in the reconstruction of the country. Zelensky urged leaders at the summit to resist Moscow's influence and consider his peace proposals, which include the Kremlin withdrawing its forces from occupied areas of Ukraine. Following the summit, Zelensky will travel to a Group of Seven summit in Japan.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner, Reece Kershaw, has refused to publicly accuse China of interference during a meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, in spite of the robust stance towards Beijing which emerged from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Canada’s Mounties, and the UK’s top policing agencies. While the FBI accused China of subverting democracy using corrupt, clandestine and criminal acts, Canada concurred and attacked the Chinese Communist Party for enabling organised crime to destabilise the west. However, Kershaw’s reluctance to discuss Chinese activities needs to be viewed in the context of his need to maintain a flow of intelligence from Chinese authorities about drug shipments to combat the Australian opioid crisis.
China’s ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, has urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau not to provoke further retaliation from China as Canada decides whether to launch an investigation into alleged meddling in Canadian politics by China. The controversy centres on leaks claiming Chinese officials covertly interfered in the last two elections. Cong suggested that Canada should consider pursuing an independent foreign policy rather than constantly following the lead of the US. He has also denied all Chinese meddling in Canadian affairs and suggested that the allegations were the result of “ideological bias”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the Group of Seven summit, according to Japan's foreign ministry. Zelenskyy is expected to hold talks with other G7 leaders, including US President Joe Biden, on how to increase international support for Ukraine and to ramp up pressure on Russia to end the war. During his attendance at the Group of Seven summit, Zelenskyy is also due to join a meeting on peace and security with other countries' representatives.
Detente seems to be in the air between China and America according to an opinion piece in Bloomberg. It describes several significant breakthroughs in meetings between Chinese and American officials, a far cry from the frosty silence of recent times. Perhaps most poignantly, President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan recently gave a speech at The Brookings Institute where he appeared to be intent on making Cold War II less chilly. Moreover, the opinion piece argues that the Chinese economy may not live up to its great expectations, showing some signs of headwinds with China’s dire demographic prospects and over-leveraged and depressed real estate sector.
Scientists at Imperial College London have tested a quantum accelerometer, which would be a potential replacement for Global Positioning System (GPS) on military warships. Capt Michael Hutchinson said the device was the UK's first successful test of a commercially viable quantum navigation system. The tensorNAV quantum accelerometer worked by measuring an object's speed against time and its velocity and starting point to calculate its position, which relies on studying supercool atoms. The tests were conducted on the XV Patrick Blackett, the Royal Navy's experimental ship. Satellites are used for every activity in daily life relying on location connectivity, including sat-navs.
China has announced it discovered "relatively serious" cybersecurity risks in products made by Micron Technology which could impact national security. The reaction came after China’s Cyberspace Administration carried out a month-long investigation into imports from the company. This latest incident has amplified tensions between the US and China, where both nations have accused each other’s tech sectors of posing national security risks. At present, Micron is the last remaining maker of computer memories based in the US following industry downturns that forced Intel and Texas Instruments to exit.
US-based semiconductor company Cadence has agreed to buy UK microchip design firm Pulsic at an undisclosed price. The move comes months after the UK government blocked a bid for the British company by Chinese firm Super Orange HK Holding on national security grounds. Cadence creates electronic design automation software used to manufacture microchips. Such software has been a battleground in the US-Chinese trade war and the US has imposed export restrictions on advanced EDA tools that may impact Cadence’s business with Chinese companies.
The Canadian government will receive an initial report from special rapporteur David Johnson on whether to call for a public inquiry into claims of foreign interference. Chinese meddling allegations in the last two federal elections brought attention to the threat, with calls for an inquiry allowing for transparent conversation about the threat faced by Canada and allowing the government to illustrate what action it is taking. An inquiry would bring the conversation back to the details of the foreign interference threat and how the country can combat it, experts say. The signs of foreign interference were already visible before the controversy, however, the government has promised funding to combat foreign interference.
The new National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is necessary to deal with scandals like the PwC tax leak, according to Mike Pezzullo, the secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. Pezzullo said that he was “taking a very close view of any new contracting that we do” and revealed that both the Department of Defence and the Australian Border Force suspended use of drones by Chinese manufacturer Da Jiang Innovations amid concerns about cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Six active Home Affairs contracts with PwC, worth AUD $8.13m ($6m) in total, are to be closely scrutinised due to recent revelations about breaches of confidentiality by the firm.
US memory chipmaker Micron Technology fell more than 6% in premarket trading after the Cyberspace Administration of China warned local operators against buying the company’s products, citing “relatively serious” cybersecurity risks. The agency said Micron components were a “significant security risk” to China’s critical infrastructure supply chain, impacting national security. Washington has previously banned some aspects of US engagement with China’s chip industry. The CAC did not detail the specific risks or mention barred products. Jefferies analysts said that Micron’s primary impact on China was for consumer electronics.
China has told operators of "critical information infrastructure" not to purchase US firm Micron Technology's products due to 'serious potential network security issues.' While this could just be a security review, it also raises concerns that it is a political move in the trade war between the US and China. Although Micron are the world’s third-largest supplier of dynamic random-access memory chips, DRAM, China is struggling to compete in the semiconductor market. Efforts in other areas, such as chip design, have also shown little result. This move will have a marginal effect on Micron as they received just 11% of their revenue from China last fiscal year and the majority of their chips sold in China are exported. However, it is short-sighted on the part of China as memory is a commodity and can be provided by other firms and it could weaken its capabilities while also playing into the hands of the US.
China's focus on pig breeding technology is seen as a long-term bet on national security by the nation's leadership, due in part to the importance of pork consumption to the Chinese population, the world's largest. The majority of the country's pigs — more than 90%, according to the government — are derived from imported breeds, leaving China exposed to potential food shortages and disease vulnerabilities. China has invested heavily in home-grown agricultural research and development as it seeks to reduce reliance on foreign food and technology. However, US public funding cuts in such research threatens that country's ability to compete. Between 1948 and 2019, total US agricultural output grew 175% as a result of public investment, with spending per head remaining largely flat since 1970. The US Congress, however, last year appropriated billions to boost the US semiconductor industry, but only $1m in 2022 and 2023 for the hoped-for Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority.
The US State Department has voiced its “serious concerns” over China’s decision to restrict sales of Micron Technology products in the country, and is in discussions with Chinese officials to convey its views. The US Commerce Department has also criticised the move. The Cyberspace Administration of China has claimed that Micron products pose significant cybersecurity risks to China’s supply chain and national security.
Oracle will soon have access to the source code, algorithm and content moderation material for TikTok, the popular social media app. The move is part of TikTok's Project Texas plan to section off US users' data and allow external partners such as Oracle to assess security risks. The development is part of attempts to address criticism from international governments about security risks stemming from TikTok's ownership by Chinese tech firm, ByteDance. TikTok is currently subject to federal and state-level legislation seeking to ban or limit use of the app on national security grounds.
