President Trump tweeted his congratulations to China and President Xi Jinping on the nation's 70-year anniversary, which marks the start of the country's communist regime, but some congressional Republicans struck a vastly different tone.
Why it matters: Like his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the split highlights how Trump's public attitude toward foreign adversaries — even as he hammers China on economic issues — can often be at odds with GOP orthodoxy.
The World Health Organization said in a new report that alcohol consumption in Russia decreased by 43% per capita from 2003 to 2016, according to the BBC.
Why it matters: Russia, which has been considered one of the heaviest-drinking countries in the world, is simultaneously experiencing a significant rise in life expectancy as a result of the drop in alcohol consumption.
Violent clashes erupted across Hong Kong between police and protesters as tens of thousands defied a marching ban on Tuesday, China's 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule, the New York Times reports.
What's happening: A police officer shot a pro-democracy protester in the first incident of its nature since the protests started months ago, reports AP, which called the event an "escalation of the monthslong unrest that has rocked the city."
China showed off a new hypersonic ballistic nuclear missile, the DF-17, as it displayed its military might during a grand parade in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule, AP reports. But clashes between police and protesters in Hong Kong cast a shadow over celebrations.
The big picture: Hong Kong authorities had tried to thwart protesters as Chinese President Xi Jinping oversaw the Beijing parade that showcased some 15,000 soldiers and 100,000 performers, per the New York Times. Hong Kong went into unprecedented lockdown, Reuters notes. But tens of thousands of protesters defied a ban on marches and attended rallies throughout the city, per Bloomberg.
Ceremonies will begin shortly in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of communist China — a showcase intended to underline the power of the country, the party and President Xi Jinping.
The flipside: It will be a split-screen affair, with much of the world’s attention focused on protests in Hong Kong that are expected to be among the largest and most dramatic to date.
The Russian government said Monday that the White House must ask for consent to publish transcripts of phone calls between President Trump and Vladimir Putin because such releases are "not normal diplomatic practice," Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The White House's release of a summary of Trump's phone call with the president of Ukraine may have set a dangerous new precedent now that the conversation is at the center of an impeachment inquiry. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that Democrats will try to get the transcripts of the president's calls with other world leaders, especially in light of reports that Trump's calls with Putin and Saudi Arabian leaders were also stored on a secret national security system.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday that the U.S. would impose more sanctions targeting Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian businessman known as "Putin's chef," for election interference activities carried out by his troll farm.
The big picture: Prigozhin and his social media manipulation operation, the Internet Research Agency, were indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller in February 2018 for election meddling. The additional sanctions come in the wake of a whistleblower's allegations that President Trump abused the power of his office to solicit 2020 election interference from Ukraine, which are now at the heart of a formal impeachment inquiry.
China appears unbothered by news the Trump administration is considering limiting U.S. investors’ portfolio flows into the country.
What's happening: China has been opening its capital markets to foreign investment, and over the past 8 years money flowing into China's stocks and bonds has grown 6-fold to nearly $1.3 trillion, per Wind Information data shared by Seafarer Funds.
