Hi Global Recap readers,

Before diving into today’s newsletter, let me remind you that what you see below is the product of countless Global Recap aficionados channeling their inner genius - suggesting tweaks and giving our efforts the nod of approval.

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📈 Top News

👀 Missing Russian general resurfaces after Wagner coup attempt. Many thought he was detained, or even dead. Sergei Surovikin, who vanished after a failed coup by Wagner mercenaries has finally shown his face in a photo posted by a Russian journalist with ties to Putin. He is said to be “alive, healthy, and at home.”

Is this really a recent photo as it’s claimed to be?

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🚀 Kim Jong Un to sell rockets to Putin for Ukraine war? U.S. intelligence suggests North Korea’s dictator is planning to meet Putin in Russia to discuss a possible arms deal.

The U.S. vows to take “direct action” against anyone who “facilitate the supply of weapons between Russia and North Korea.”

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🐟 Japan tells on China to WTO. Japan has had enough with China’s ban on its seafood after releasing radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Japan says the ban is “totally unacceptable” and violates WTO rules. China says it’s protecting its people from contamination.

Who’s right and who’s wrong?

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🛫 Niger’s junta plays peekaboo with ECOWAS. Niger’s military rulers can’t make up their mind whether to let planes fly over their country or not. They closed and reopened their airspace twice in two weeks already, due to fears of ECOWAS’s intervention.

Does this mean the threat has been neutralized?

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🇹🇼 Taiwan president visits Eswatini. President Tsai Ing-wen is on a four-day trip to Eswatini, the only African country that recognizes Taiwan as a sovereign state. And of course China is not happy about it.

Is Taiwan ignoring China becoming the norm?

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✍️ In-Depth

China
Why Xi Jinping Is Skipping the G20 Summit

🇨🇳 Xi Jinping: Skipping the G20 Summit in India this week. China recently announced that its leader has decided to stay home and send Premier Li Qiang in his place. Why? Here are some possible explanations:

🔥 Xi Jinping wants to avoid confrontation with Biden and Modi. Both leaders have been critical of China’s policies on trade, human rights, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the South China Sea. And let’s not forget China’s recently released map that shows Arunachal Pradesh as its territory! Biden recently said it is “disappointing” that he cannot meet Xi this week, but he is hopeful for a one-on-one soon.

🌏 Xi Jinping is promoting alternative multilateral groups over the G20. Xi may be trying to promote groups like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that are more favorable to China’s interests. He recently attended the BRICS summit in South Africa, where he pushed for its expansion to make it a formidable force against the West (under the guise of promoting a more inclusive and equitable world order, of course). By expanding BRICS and skipping the G20, Xi may be signaling that he doesn’t need or value Western-led groups as much as before.

💰Xi Jinping is focusing on domestic issues and regional affairs. A third reason for Xi’s absence could be that he is focusing on more important or urgent domestic issues and regional affairs. Recently, bad news for China’s economy has been dominating the news cycle: its property sector is struggling, its shadow banking system is threatening the financial system, its population is rapidly aging and declining in numbers, its youth unemployment numbers are so bad it stopped publishing them altogether, etc. - all of which can threaten his tight grip on power.

Of course, these are all speculations. What do you think the reason is?