China is leveraging debts to gain control of strategic ports and secure primary access to African oil in Angola, Kenya and Djibouti.
Why it matters: The Chinese are offering up attractive infrastructure projects to the countries that need them most and following up with escalating demands for influence. That approach will spread to even more of the globe under Beijing's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.
The clashes along the border between Israel and the Gaza strip which led to the death of more than 50 Palestinians today are turning into an international diplomatic crisis.
What's next: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had a conference call with Israeli security chiefs to consult about today's event and to prepare for tomorrow's demonstrations in Gaza. They are expected to be even larger, as May 15th is Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during Israel's founding.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told reporters on Monday that responsibility for the dozens of Palestinian protestors killed in Gaza "rests squarely with Hamas" and that "Israel has the right to defend itself."
The big picture: The White House said it still hopes to help foster a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian territories and believes that the protests — sparked by the opening of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem — and deaths don't change that.
The contrast could not be starker between the celebratory proceedings marking the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem and the border clashes on Monday that have resulted in 52 casualties — the bloodiest day for Gaza since the 2014 war between Hamas and Israel.
Why it matters: Both events add more fuel to the already combustible dynamics between the Palestinians and Israel. The embassy move has led the Palestinian Authority to sever contact with President Trump's administration, severely reducing any chances for the resumption of peace diplomacy, while the deaths of Gazan protestors have increased the possibility of another war between Israel and Hamas.
Between the lines: This is a remarkable split-screen moment. Most speakers at the embassy ceremony chose to ignore the events in Gaza, but Jared Kushner said "those provoking violence are part of the problem and not part of the solution,” while Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the “brave soldiers protecting the borders of Israel.”
President Trump has laid out what a successful outcome from his talks with North Korea looks like: "They get rid of their nukes."
But, but, but: North Korea may well make such a promise, but “it is going to be emphatically impossible to conclude definitively that North Korea has given up all of its nuclear material," James Acton, a physicist and verification expert, tells Axios. "The big challenge is not verifying the dismantlement of those they tell us” about, he says, “it’s verifying that they haven’t maintained materials secretly.”
Israeli troops fired at hundreds of Palestinian protesters near the Gaza border on Monday, killing at least 58 people and injuring thousands of others, ahead of the opening of the U.S. Jerusalem embassy, reports Haaretz. Gaza health officials are continuing to update the numbered fatalities.
The big picture: This is now the bloodiest day in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict since 2014. Protesters have been setting tires on fire and throwing stones at troops in the West Bank, drawing live fire from Israeli forces. Hamas leaders have said they believe a border breach is possible Monday, and "Israel has warned it would prevent protesters from breaking through the barrier at any cost," reports the AP.
The United States will delight Israel and infuriate Palestinians today at 9 a.m. ET with the dedication of an interim embassy in Jerusalem, officially marking the move from Tel Aviv.
Why it matters: President Trump's decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem is a huge milestone in U.S.-Israeli relations. Even if Trump does nothing else until the end of his term regarding Israel, he has already gotten himself into the history books.
John Bolton, President Trump's national security advisor, threatened Europe with economic sanctions over the Iran deal, reinforcing a growing fear of a new world of no permanent alliances.
Quick take: Bolton's threat, made on CNN, further undermines the seven-decade alliance between the U.S. and Europe, a central factor in a sharp rise in global living standards and peace among the major powers.
After two years of assailing his predecessors for putting Chinese workers before Americans, President Trump today said he is directing his administration to reverse the effective shutdown of ZTE in order to save Chinese jobs.
The big picture: The Commerce Department banned American companies from selling parts to ZTE for seven years because the Chinese company violated U.S. sanctions by selling equipment made with American parts to Iran and North Korea. As a result of the sanctions, ZTE halted operations last week. Now, Trump says he's working with Chinese President Xi Jinping to save the Chinese phone maker.
Angola repays its $25 billion debt to Beijing with crude oil, creating a host of problems for its economy, reports Yinka Adegoke, Quartz's Africa editor, in his weekly brief.
Why it matters: That means Angola's ability to repay debt is dependent on the price of oil. And it leaves the country with lower volumes of oil to sell to other trading partners.
Jared Kushner, who arrived in Israel earlier today as a part of the United States' delegation for the opening of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his official residence.
What we're hearing: Israeli officials told me that — among other issues — the two discussed the White House's Middle East peace plan. Kushner is leading the White House's "peace team," which has almost finished drafting its peace plan and is discussing if and when to release it. Jason Greenblatt, President Trump's special envoy for the peace process, also attended the meeting.
