2024 Issue 14

PRC aggression in the South China Sea is driving countries to band together and increase their military spending, creating the “containment” that CCP leaders find so objectionable.

Exit bans in the PRC continue to take place, convincing foreign business leaders that traveling to the PRC is just too dangerous.  Reports this week that Stephen Roach, former Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, was forbidden from criticizing the CCP’s policies on Hong Kong, only reinforces those fears.

New evidence is emerging that the PRC Government is waging a sophisticated political interference campaign across social media to spur social divisions in the United States.  This comes a week after the United States and other countries accused Beijing of waging a massive cyber campaign against politicians, human rights advocates, and others that were critical of the PRC.  Yet the Biden Administration will send its friendliest cabinet secretary, Janet Yellen, to Beijing next week.

Lastly, Congress is considering a ban on index funds that include PRC companies given the opacity to risks in investing in those companies.