foreignpolicy--2020-10-06--What It Would Take for Russia’s Millennials to Topple Putin

What It Would Take for Russia ’ s Millennials to Topple Putin From Belarus to Kyrgyzstan to Ukraine , the popular uprisings that have swept the post-Soviet world in the last two decades have had one feature in common : high levels of participation among millennials ( born between 1981 and 1996 ) and Generation Z ( 1997 and 2012 ) .
In some ways , it appears that Russia ’ s young people may be next .
According to polling , in the last couple of years , younger Russians have become the group most dissatisfied with Russia ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have so far kept the country ’ s millennials and Gen Zers from reforming the system remain .
For one , there ’ s the sheer size of the younger generations , which , thanks to decades of low birth rates , constitute a small minority within Russian society .
There simply may not be enough young people to successfully push for fundamental change .
Second , many younger Russians refrain from actively participating in politics and only grow more politically engaged as they enter their early 30s .
Yet the youth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new study conducted with the Levada Center , an independent survey company , suggest ways in which the United States could help boost higher civic and political engagement in these age cohorts—and , in turn , help them play a similar role as in Russia ’ s neighboring countries .
Younger Russians are also among the most opposition-minded groups in Russia .
A steady decline in living standards has affected support for the authorities among all Russians , and it isn ’ t hard to see why .
Real incomes in Russia declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the Russian Federal State Statistic Service changed the methodology for income reporting .
In 2020 , real incomes experienced the biggest drop they have seen in the last 20 years due to the pandemic-induced economic crisis .
That , combined with an unpopular hike in the retirement age in 2018 , has diminished Russians ’ faith in their country ’ s political leaders .
The lack of support is most pronounced among younger citizens .
In June and July polling , 18- to 24-year-olds were the group most critical of Putin ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And in a July study , 62 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds thought that Russia was heading in the wrong direction ( as opposed to an average of 40 percent across other ages ) .
According to the study , only 7 percent of young Russians named Putin among politicians they trust ( as opposed to 23 percent of the population on average ) .
And in August , only 23 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 31 percent of 25- to 39-year-olds surveyed said they would vote for Putin if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , as compared with 40 percent of the population in general .
Based on focus group discussions , younger and older Russians seem to share many of the same reasons for their dissatisfaction .
These include concerns about Russia ’ s economic problems and the country ’ s future .
However , there are age-specific issues , too , having mostly to do with younger Russians ’ different media habits .
In particular , younger Russians are more exposed to the internet and social networks .
YouTube , for example , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figures , such as the independent journalist and popular video blogger Yuri Dud , and independent politicians including Alexei Navalny .
Because of their access to outside sources of information , younger Russians appear less vulnerable to Kremlin TV propaganda .
Younger Russians are more positive toward the United States , which is constantly bedeviled by Russian state-controlled TV channels .
Older , TV-dependent Russians ( aged 55 and above ) are less so .
Younger Russians complain more often about restrictions on the internet and popular communications apps like Telegram .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be waged for reposts and retweets deemed critical of Putin , and they have criticized the growing brutality of the authorities , such as the crackdown on Moscow protesters in the summer of 2019 .
In focus groups at the end of last summer , young residents from big cities repeatedly mentioned the case of Daria Sosnovskaya , a young woman who was deliberately punched in the stomach by a police officer at one protest .
One of the videos that captured this moment gathered over 700,000 views on YouTube .
Added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to the authorities among younger Russians could chip away at Putin ’ s power over the long term .
Compounding the challenge of size , young Russians also have low rates of political participation .
Surveys show that only about 20 percent of people aged 14-29 are interested in politics , and only 7 percent mention active participation in Russia ’ s political life as a possibility in the future .
Younger Russians follow the news and discuss political topics two times less as often as older ones .
They vote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often .
Lower interest in politics may explain the fact that , despite their growing dissatisfaction with the authorities , younger people have not increased as a share of all opposition protesters over the last decade .
The figure remained at about 20-30 percent of protest participants .
Instead , younger Russians tend stay politically engaged primarily online .
For example , while younger Russians , even more than other age groups , disliked the constitutional amendments introduced in 2020 , which among other changes granted Putin a right to stay in power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also disproportionally abstained from voting during constitutional referenda , including a ballot in July 2020 .
This is a result of two processes .
First , few young Russians thought that their vote would be decisive .
Second , continuing disarray within Russia ’ s opposition prevented it from offering a consolidated strategy for the constitutional amendments voting and mobilizing young Russians to participate .
Still , although Russian millennials and Gen Zers are somewhat apolitical at the moment , in Russia interest in politics and in political participation tends to awaken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of 25-30 .
Data from our surveys shows that various indicators of adulthood , such as having a mortgage and kids and living separately from one ’ s parents , predict higher political engagement among Russians .
Until then , younger people tend to borrow politics from the adults who surround them .
However , as these generations become more politically engaged , they may come to represent a real obstacle to Putin ’ s rule—through protests and at the ballot box .
Already by 2024 this age cohort may grow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regime .
Meanwhile , our research shows that indicators of civic and political engagement are higher among those Russians between 16 and 34 who speak foreign languages and travel abroad .
Other studies have also shown that young respondents who have even a short experience of traveling outside Russia demonstrate higher proclivity for independent thinking .
The exposure to different values , norms , and ideas from other countries changes people ’ s perception of the way things should work domestically .
This suggests that fostering educational exchange programs in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ activity among young Russians .

Maria Snegovaya, Denis Volkov and Stepan Goncharov

From Belarus to Kyrgyzstan to Ukraine, the popular uprisings that have swept the post-Soviet world in the last two decades have had one feature in common: high levels of participation among millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (1997 and 2012).
From Belarus to Kyrgyzstan to Ukraine, the popular uprisings that have swept the post-Soviet world in the last two decades have had one feature in common: high levels of participation among millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (1997 and 2012).
In some ways, it appears that Russia’s young people may be next. According to polling, in the last couple of years, younger Russians have become the group most dissatisfied with Russia’s political system. But the obstacles that have so far kept the country’s millennials and Gen Zers from reforming the system remain.
For one, there’s the sheer size of the younger generations, which, thanks to decades of low birth rates, constitute a small minority within Russian society. There simply may not be enough young people to successfully push for fundamental change. Second, many younger Russians refrain from actively participating in politics and only grow more politically engaged as they enter their early 30s.
Yet the youth need not despair. Findings from our new study conducted with the Levada Center, an independent survey company, suggest ways in which the United States could help boost higher civic and political engagement in these age cohorts—and, in turn, help them play a similar role as in Russia’s neighboring countries.
Several years ago, it was commonplace for concerned observers to portray younger Russians, who showed no inclination for challenging Vladimir Putin’s rule, as anti-democratic, deeply conservative, and unprepared to fight for a more open future. Yet today, Russians aged 16-34 are the most entrepreneurial, pro-Western, and tolerant cohort in the country. They also hold less paternalistic attitudes than the rest of the population, and the number of Russians below the age of 25 who prioritize human rights is almost twice as high as the number of those who prioritize state interests. The opposite is true among older Russians.
Younger Russians are also among the most opposition-minded groups in Russia. A steady decline in living standards has affected support for the authorities among all Russians, and it isn’t hard to see why. Real incomes in Russia declined every year between 2014 and 2018, when the Russian Federal State Statistic Service changed the methodology for income reporting. In 2020, real incomes experienced the biggest drop they have seen in the last 20 years due to the pandemic-induced economic crisis. That, combined with an unpopular hike in the retirement age in 2018, has diminished Russians’ faith in their country’s political leaders.
The lack of support is most pronounced among younger citizens. In June and July polling, 18- to 24-year-olds were the group most critical of Putin’s rule (49-50 percent disapproved). And in a July study, 62 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds thought that Russia was heading in the wrong direction (as opposed to an average of 40 percent across other ages). According to the study, only 7 percent of young Russians named Putin among politicians they trust (as opposed to 23 percent of the population on average). And in August, only 23 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds and 31 percent of 25- to 39-year-olds surveyed said they would vote for Putin if the elections were to take place the next Sunday, as compared with 40 percent of the population in general.
Based on focus group discussions, younger and older Russians seem to share many of the same reasons for their dissatisfaction. These include concerns about Russia’s economic problems and the country’s future. However, there are age-specific issues, too, having mostly to do with younger Russians’ different media habits. In particular, younger Russians are more exposed to the internet and social networks. YouTube, for example, has provided a massive podium to new public figures, such as the independent journalist and popular video blogger Yuri Dud, and independent politicians including Alexei Navalny.
Because of their access to outside sources of information, younger Russians appear less vulnerable to Kremlin TV propaganda. Younger Russians are more positive toward the United States, which is constantly bedeviled by Russian state-controlled TV channels. Older, TV-dependent Russians (aged 55 and above) are less so. Younger Russians complain more often about restrictions on the internet and popular communications apps like Telegram. They are opposed to the criminal charges that can be waged for reposts and retweets deemed critical of Putin, and they have criticized the growing brutality of the authorities, such as the crackdown on Moscow protesters in the summer of 2019. In focus groups at the end of last summer, young residents from big cities repeatedly mentioned the case of Daria Sosnovskaya, a young woman who was deliberately punched in the stomach by a police officer at one protest. One of the videos that captured this moment gathered over 700,000 views on YouTube.
Added together, increasing internet penetration and rising opposition to the authorities among younger Russians could chip away at Putin’s power over the long term.
However, several important obstacles remain. First, younger Russians are a minority within the Russian population, and their share keeps declining. According to the 2019 census, Russians aged 15-29 constitute only 16.5 percent of the population due to the relatively small number of children born between 1989 and 2003. As recently as 2010, this age group made up 24 percent of the population. This number, while significantly smaller than in many Asian republics in the post-Soviet space, is comparable to Belarus, where 15- to 29-year-olds constitute 17.7 percent. In Ukraine, the share of 15- to 24-year-olds is only 9.6 percent.
Compounding the challenge of size, young Russians also have low rates of political participation. Surveys show that only about 20 percent of people aged 14-29 are interested in politics, and only 7 percent mention active participation in Russia’s political life as a possibility in the future. Younger Russians follow the news and discuss political topics two times less as often as older ones. They vote in elections of various levels three times less often.
Lower interest in politics may explain the fact that, despite their growing dissatisfaction with the authorities, younger people have not increased as a share of all opposition protesters over the last decade. The figure remained at about 20-30 percent of protest participants. Instead, younger Russians tend stay politically engaged primarily online. For example, while younger Russians, even more than other age groups, disliked the constitutional amendments introduced in 2020, which among other changes granted Putin a right to stay in power for two more consecutive terms, they have also disproportionally abstained from voting during constitutional referenda, including a ballot in July 2020. This is a result of two processes. First, few young Russians thought that their vote would be decisive. Second, continuing disarray within Russia’s opposition prevented it from offering a consolidated strategy for the constitutional amendments voting and mobilizing young Russians to participate.
Still, although Russian millennials and Gen Zers are somewhat apolitical at the moment, in Russia interest in politics and in political participation tends to awaken later in life, closer to the age of 25-30. Data from our surveys shows that various indicators of adulthood, such as having a mortgage and kids and living separately from one’s parents, predict higher political engagement among Russians. Until then, younger people tend to borrow politics from the adults who surround them. However, as these generations become more politically engaged, they may come to represent a real obstacle to Putin’s rule—through protests and at the ballot box. Already by 2024 this age cohort may grow to represent a substantial electoral challenge to the regime.
Meanwhile, our research shows that indicators of civic and political engagement are higher among those Russians between 16 and 34 who speak foreign languages and travel abroad. Other studies have also shown that young respondents who have even a short experience of traveling outside Russia demonstrate higher proclivity for independent thinking. The exposure to different values, norms, and ideas from other countries changes people’s perception of the way things should work domestically. This suggests that fostering educational exchange programs in the United States may be one way to spur political activity among young Russians.


foreignpolicy--2020-10-06--Global Data Governance Database of Policies

Foreign Policy Analytics ’ ( FPA ’ s ) Global Data Governance Power Map details emerging trends in private companies @ @ @ @ @ collection practices .
These trends include the proliferation of data privacy and data localization laws @ @ @ @ @ collection practices , changes in global encryption laws , the rising use of AI for @ @ @ @ @ proliferation of COVID-19 tracking apps .
Throughout the Power Map series , laws and policies @ @ @ @ @ catalogued and graphically broken down for readers .
As a reference and navigable tool for @ @ @ @ @ practices and regulations chronicled in the Power Map series have been consolidated in FPA ’ @ @ @ @ @ below .
This database provides a comprehensive regional and country-level breakdown of global data governance @ @ @ @ @ .
For easy navigation , this searchable database can be sorted by country or region @ @ @ @ @ into each global data governance practice chronicled below , see the corresponding Power Map section @

UPDATED: Sept. 15, 2021
PUBLISHED: Oct. 6, 2020
Foreign Policy Analytics’ (FPA’s) Global Data Governance Power Map details emerging trends in private companies’ and governments’ data collection practices. These trends include the proliferation of data privacy and data localization laws, governments’ expanding data collection practices, changes in global encryption laws, the rising use of AI for data collection, and the proliferation of international cybersecurity commitments. Throughout the Power Map series, laws and policies related to these trends are catalogued and graphically broken down for readers.
As a reference and navigable tool, all of the practices and regulations chronicled in the Power Map series have been consolidated in FPA’s Global Data Governance Database below. This database provides a comprehensive regional and country-level breakdown of global data governance practices in 138 countries worldwide. For easy navigation, this searchable database can be sorted by country or region. For a deeper dive into each global data governance practice chronicled below, see the corresponding Power Map section.


foreignpolicy--2020-10-06--Trump Returns to White House Amid Outbreak

Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : Donald Trump leaves Walter Reed military hospital amid widespread criticism , Ethiopia bans flights over the controversial Renaissance Dam , and European countries introduce a new round of coronavirus restrictions .
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday , please sign up here .
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is being discharged from Walter Reed military hospital after undergoing treatment for a COVID-19 diagnosis he received last week .
In the tweet announcing the news , Trump urged Americans not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t let it dominate your life ” and praised his administration ’ s development of “ some really great drugs & knowledge.
” The move came just three days after Trump was first admitted to the hospital .
Taking the heat .
Despite initially receiving support from across the political spectrum , Trump ’ s handling of his own diagnosis has invited heavy criticism .
Critics charged that Trump ’ s “ don ’ t be afraid ” message trivializes the disease in the face of more than 210,000 deaths in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday after he left Walter Reed in a motorcade to drive past supporters congregated outside , a move that led Dr. James Phillips , an attending physician at the hospital , to chide the president , arguing that “ the irresponsibility is astounding.
” Closing in .
Trump ’ s release comes as his inner circle continues to be hit hard by the virus .
Several top White House and Republican officials have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany being the latest after she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had tested positive .
A new beginning ?
There is some speculation that Trump ’ s personal experience with the disease may cause him to change his approach to the pandemic and adopt a more serious tone , similar to the way other infected leaders have .
But as Foreign Policy ’ s Micah Zenko wrote , “ the president will never take COVID-19 seriously , and the federal government ’ s lack of urgency and overall incompetency will persist.
” More damage .
More than that , Trump ’ s experience could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputation on the international stage .
Not only does it open obvious vulnerabilities in the country ’ s constitutional fabric that its adversaries could exploit , it also erodes Trump ’ s credibility even further and could make other governments even more distrustful of the him .
In the event of an international incident , Zenko warned that “ during the remaining weeks of the presidential campaign … few would believe anything uttered by Trump or anyone who works for him.
” Venezuela strikes gold .
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has scored an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A British appeals court ruled that a legal battle over $ 1 billion in gold belonging to the Venezuelan government but stored in London should be reconsidered .
The ruling reversed a decision made by a lower court which said that the British government had recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president , meaning Maduro couldn ’ t withdraw the funds .
But the justices presiding over the case said that the British government ’ s continued willingness to work with Maduro diplomatically is inconsistent with its official stance on the matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left uncertain after Washington successfully convinced London to block Maduro ’ s access to it .
Venezuela ’ s central bank sued the Bank of England over the move , and Monday ’ s decision put Maduro in a stronger position to actually retrieve the gold .
Ethiopia bans flights over Renaissance Dam .
Ethiopia has banned all flights over its controversial Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile tributary , a move that is likely to worsen the ongoing dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the project .
“ All flights have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw , the director-general of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority , told Reuters .
Later on Monday , in a speech to parliament , Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde told lawmakers that construction was underway to begin a second filling of the dam and that it would begin generating power within the next year .
The dispute between Ethiopia , Egypt , and Sudan has intensified since Ethiopia first began filling the dam in July , but despite several rounds of talks , no long-term resolution has been determined .
Ethiopia argues that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development , whereas Egypt and Sudan contend that it threatens their fresh water supply .
Read FP ’ s coverage of the dispute here .
Protests rock Kyrgyzstan .
Protests have started in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek and other parts of the country over allegations of vote-rigging in last weekend ’ s parliamentary election .
Protesters stormed a parliamentary building on Tuesday and 120 people have been hospitalized after police used force to disperse demonstrators .
Two pro-government parties emerged as the clear winners , but only two other parties out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 percent threshold required to win any seats .
International observers have called allegations of electoral fraud “ credible ” and a “ serious concern , ” and opposition parties have said they will not recognize the results of the election .
Following Belarus , Armenia , and Azerbaijan , the emerging crisis makes Kyrgyzstan the most recent in a string of former Soviet republics to face turmoil , testing Russia ’ s capacity to handle multiple crises developing along its borders .
Europe nears lockdown .
European countries are slowly implementing new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus as cases across the continent continue to surge .
On Monday , the Irish government rejected advice from a top government health team recommending that the country return to full lockdown , but chose instead to reintroduce a series of measures that will restrict movement and limit restaurant and pub capacity .
The decision follows a move by France on Sunday to place Paris under maximum coronavirus alert , closing all bars and placing certain restrictions on restaurants .
Spain also announced partial lockdowns in Madrid and two other cities .
Oman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new ambassador to Syria on Sunday , becoming the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Syria following a mass diplomatic exodus from the country in the aftermath of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ’ s brutal response to protests against his rule at the beginning of the country ’ s civil war in 2011 .
Oman stood out among its neighbors because it was one of very few Arab countries that did not completely sever relations with Syria , reflecting the country ’ s determination not to take sides .
The decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to normality now that Assad ’ s government has mostly restored its authority .
Last month , Assad and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met to discuss rebuilding the Syrian economy .
The United States , however , has hit back at these moves .
Last week , it imposed a new round of sanctions on key Syrian individuals .
Tasmanian devils have been reintroduced to the wild in mainland Australia , a significant development for the carnivorous marsupials after the species had been nearly hunted to extinction in many parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ark released several groups of Tasmanian devils—which got their name as a result of their high-pitched squeals—into a 1,000-acre enclosed sanctuary in order to maximize their chances of survival , though no food , water , or shelter was supplied to mimic conditions in the wild .
“ We ’ ve got some basic means of keeping an eye on them , ” said Aussie Ark President Tim Faulker .
“ But essentially , now it ’ s over to the devils to do what they do.
” For more from FP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign up for our other newsletters .
Send your tips , comments , questions , or corrections to morningbrief @ foreignpolicy.com .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Donald Trump leaves Walter Reed military hospital amid widespread criticism, Ethiopia bans flights over the controversial Renaissance Dam, and European countries introduce a new round of coronavirus restrictions.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Trump Faces Criticism Over Handling of His Treatment
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he is being discharged from Walter Reed military hospital after undergoing treatment for a COVID-19 diagnosis he received last week. In the tweet announcing the news, Trump urged Americans not to “be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life” and praised his administration’s development of “some really great drugs & knowledge.” The move came just three days after Trump was first admitted to the hospital.
Taking the heat. Despite initially receiving support from across the political spectrum, Trump’s handling of his own diagnosis has invited heavy criticism. Critics charged that Trump’s “don’t be afraid” message trivializes the disease in the face of more than 210,000 deaths in the United States. He previously faced criticism on Sunday after he left Walter Reed in a motorcade to drive past supporters congregated outside, a move that led Dr. James Phillips, an attending physician at the hospital, to chide the president, arguing that “the irresponsibility is astounding.”
Closing in. Trump’s release comes as his inner circle continues to be hit hard by the virus. Several top White House and Republican officials have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days with White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany being the latest after she announced on Monday on Twitter that she had tested positive.
A new beginning? There is some speculation that Trump’s personal experience with the disease may cause him to change his approach to the pandemic and adopt a more serious tone, similar to the way other infected leaders have. But as Foreign Policy’s Micah Zenko wrote, “the president will never take COVID-19 seriously, and the federal government’s lack of urgency and overall incompetency will persist.”
More damage. More than that, Trump’s experience could hurt the United States’ already damaged reputation on the international stage. Not only does it open obvious vulnerabilities in the country’s constitutional fabric that its adversaries could exploit, it also erodes Trump’s credibility even further and could make other governments even more distrustful of the him. In the event of an international incident, Zenko warned that “during the remaining weeks of the presidential campaign … few would believe anything uttered by Trump or anyone who works for him.”
What We’re Following Today
Venezuela strikes gold. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has scored an important victory in the United Kingdom. A British appeals court ruled that a legal battle over $1 billion in gold belonging to the Venezuelan government but stored in London should be reconsidered. The ruling reversed a decision made by a lower court which said that the British government had recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, meaning Maduro couldn’t withdraw the funds. But the justices presiding over the case said that the British government’s continued willingness to work with Maduro diplomatically is inconsistent with its official stance on the matter.
The status of the gold was left uncertain after Washington successfully convinced London to block Maduro’s access to it. Venezuela’s central bank sued the Bank of England over the move, and Monday’s decision put Maduro in a stronger position to actually retrieve the gold.
Ethiopia bans flights over Renaissance Dam. Ethiopia has banned all flights over its controversial Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile tributary, a move that is likely to worsen the ongoing dispute with Egypt and Sudan over the project. “All flights have been banned to secure the dam,” Wesenyeleh Hunegnaw, the director-general of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, told Reuters. Later on Monday, in a speech to parliament, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde told lawmakers that construction was underway to begin a second filling of the dam and that it would begin generating power within the next year.
The dispute between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan has intensified since Ethiopia first began filling the dam in July, but despite several rounds of talks, no long-term resolution has been determined. Ethiopia argues that the dam is vital to its economic development, whereas Egypt and Sudan contend that it threatens their fresh water supply. Read FP’s coverage of the dispute here.
Protests rock Kyrgyzstan. Protests have started in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek and other parts of the country over allegations of vote-rigging in last weekend’s parliamentary election. Protesters stormed a parliamentary building on Tuesday and 120 people have been hospitalized after police used force to disperse demonstrators. Two pro-government parties emerged as the clear winners, but only two other parties out of 16 total that stood candidates crossed the 7 percent threshold required to win any seats. International observers have called allegations of electoral fraud “credible” and a “serious concern,” and opposition parties have said they will not recognize the results of the election.
Following Belarus, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, the emerging crisis makes Kyrgyzstan the most recent in a string of former Soviet republics to face turmoil, testing Russia’s capacity to handle multiple crises developing along its borders.
Keep an Eye On
Europe nears lockdown. European countries are slowly implementing new restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus as cases across the continent continue to surge. On Monday, the Irish government rejected advice from a top government health team recommending that the country return to full lockdown, but chose instead to reintroduce a series of measures that will restrict movement and limit restaurant and pub capacity. The decision follows a move by France on Sunday to place Paris under maximum coronavirus alert, closing all bars and placing certain restrictions on restaurants. Spain also announced partial lockdowns in Madrid and two other cities.
Oman normalizes relations with Syria. Oman sent a new ambassador to Syria on Sunday, becoming the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Syria following a mass diplomatic exodus from the country in the aftermath of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brutal response to protests against his rule at the beginning of the country’s civil war in 2011. Oman stood out among its neighbors because it was one of very few Arab countries that did not completely sever relations with Syria, reflecting the country’s determination not to take sides.
The decision also demonstrates Syria’s slow move back to normality now that Assad’s government has mostly restored its authority. Last month, Assad and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met to discuss rebuilding the Syrian economy. The United States, however, has hit back at these moves. Last week, it imposed a new round of sanctions on key Syrian individuals.
Odds and Ends
Tasmanian devils have been reintroduced to the wild in mainland Australia, a significant development for the carnivorous marsupials after the species had been nearly hunted to extinction in many parts of the world. The conservation group Aussie Ark released several groups of Tasmanian devils—which got their name as a result of their high-pitched squeals—into a 1,000-acre enclosed sanctuary in order to maximize their chances of survival, though no food, water, or shelter was supplied to mimic conditions in the wild. “We’ve got some basic means of keeping an eye on them,” said Aussie Ark President Tim Faulker. “But essentially, now it’s over to the devils to do what they do.”
That’s it for today.
For more from FP, visit foreignpolicy.com, subscribe here, or sign up for our other newsletters. Send your tips, comments, questions, or corrections to morningbrief@foreignpolicy.com.


foreignpolicy--2020-10-06--Why Pompeo’s Crusade Against the Pope Failed

Why Pompeo ’ s Crusade Against the Pope Failed If the medium is the message , the White House ’ s message to Pope Francis couldn ’ t be clearer .
When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote an opinion piece last month in the magazine First Things , urging the Vatican not to renew its agreement with China on the appointment of bishops , the choice of outlet didn ’ t go unnoticed in Rome : In past years First Things , a religious publication close to the Catholic right , has grown increasingly favorable to the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , declaring , among other things , Francis ’ s popedom “ a failing papacy.
” The venue itself “ already says something about the intention of those who wrote this article , ” the Vatican ’ s secretary of state , Cardinal Pietro Parolin , told reporters .
“ It was a declaration of which side Pompeo was on , ” Massimo Faggioli , a church historian at Villanova University who recently wrote the book The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis , told me .
Pompeo , an Evangelical Presbyterian , also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and foreign minister late last month to discuss China—according to the Italian press he warned them against Beijing ’ s involvement in 5G networks .
In this context , Faggioli points out , Pompeo ’ s intrusion into Chinese-Vatican relations had more to do with U.S. electoral politics than with China : “ He was telling the Catholic and the evangelical right that he ’ s on their side and doesn ’ t care about clashing with the pope.
” The Holy See has no official diplomatic relations with China and , far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 provisional agreement between the two that is on track to be renewed this month is strictly specific to the ordination of bishops in mainland China , which is not a top priority for U.S. President Donald Trump .
The Catholic vote in the United States is , however .
The leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States , which leans politically conservative , is at odds with the direction that the pope is giving to the church , especially when it comes to issues such as protecting the environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting the death penalty—causes that are dear to Francis but hardly align with Republican politics .
Many U.S. bishops , Faggioli noted , see such conservative causes as the fight against abortion and the advocacy of traditional gender roles as “ the only keys to the church ’ s survival , ” while Francis has refused to focus his advocacy on just these issues .
He has expressed progressive views on social , economic , and environmental issues , while firmly defending the church ’ s stance against abortion and against the notion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ although he has slightly softened its rhetoric on homosexuality .
The culture war between Francis and the pro-Trump Catholic right has been dragging on for years , but it has accelerated in the past week , when the Vatican responded to Pompeo ’ s provocations with all its diplomatic—and theological—might .
When the U.S. secretary of state visited Rome last Wednesday , the pontiff refused to meet him .
Parolin , the Vatican ’ s top diplomat , met with Pompeo instead ; the usually well informed La Stampa described the meeting as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreed to disagree .
Officially , the pope ’ s refusal was due to a policy of not meeting officials from countries that are in the middle of an electoral campaign in order not to give the impression of taking sides .
But Parolin told reporters that the Holy See was “ surprised ” by the White House ’ s public meddling with its foreign policy and took time to stress that Pompeo had requested a meeting with Francis in vain .
Another high-ranking Vatican official , the British bishop Paul Gallagher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ weaponize the pope ” for electoral gains .
On Saturday , Francis released his new encyclical , Fratelli Tutti ( “ All Brothers ” ) , focusing on brotherly love , which criticizes pretty just about everything the Trump administration stands for—from the distrust of immigrants to unregulated capitalism .
The encyclical , Francis ’ s third , after Laudato Si ’ ( 2015 ) and Lumen Fidei ( 2013 ) , was of course in the works for a long time , and its publication was scheduled to coincide with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assisi , who served as an inspiration .
But the timing contributed to amplifying its message that is not-so-subtly critical of Trump and , by extension , his Catholic supporters .
“ Ancient conflicts thought long buried are breaking out anew , while instances of a myopic , extremist , resentful and aggressive nationalism are on the rise , ” wrote the pope , in a lengthy attack on resurgent nationalism .
“ In some countries , a concept of popular and national unity influenced by various ideologies is creating new forms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hard to miss the references to U.S. politics .
“ Certain populist political regimes , as well as certain liberal economic approaches , maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs , ” reads the encyclical .
“ It is born of a certain insecurity and fear of the other that leads to rejection and the desire to erect walls for self-defence.
” The United States is home to around 51 million Catholic adults , evenly split between Democrats and Republicans , according to the Pew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noting , though , that divisions often run along ethnic lines , with Hispanic Catholics leaning left and white Catholics leaning right , per Pew data .
Faggioli said that in the past decade the most traditional and white segment of the U.S. Catholic Church have converged politically with white evangelicals , fully embracing the nationalist , “ America first ” agenda , which previously was perceived as incompatible with Catholic universalist doctrine , even in conservative circles .
Among the most prominent pro-Trump Catholics , there are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was nominated by Trump as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See , and former White House advisor ( and culture warlord ) Steve Bannon , who attempted to establish a right-wing political school in a former monastery outside Rome , to no avail .
The same group also has a negative opinion of Francis , whom they see as the logical consequence of the Second Vatican Council , which in the 1960s sought to modernize the church , to the dismay of hard-line conservatives .
Just like white evangelicals , traditionalist Catholics see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relativism .
But this doesn ’ t automatically translate to mass support for the Republican Party .
Although still in the lead among this demographic group , Trump is actually losing some of his support among white Catholics : In the past election , 64 percent voted for him , while in the upcoming one about 59 percent plan to do so , according to the most recent Pew poll .
If Democratic candidate Joe Biden were elected , that would make him the second Catholic president in U.S. history , after John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems specious both because relations with China are not a top priority for U.S. Catholics and because the renewed agreement between the Holy See and China is unlikely to alter the balance between Washington and Beijing , which the Trump administration sees as its main competitor .
However , the agreement is not above criticism .
Although the details are secret , the Vatican has made it clear that it is provisional and concerns solely the appointment of bishops in mainland China .
It “ has reestablished full communion with Chinese bishops ordained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement by the Vatican ’ s news agency .
Since 1957 , Chinese authorities have refused to let the pontiff pick his own bishops , taking it upon themselves to ordain bishops without papal approval , which is strictly incompatible with Catholic doctrine .
Since its establishment , the People ’ s Republic of China has maintained the party line that religious activities in its territory should be limited and under the direct authority of the Communist Party , which is officially atheist .
Catholicism in particular was viewed with suspicion in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Western influence , but in the past few years Beijing has focused its efforts on containing Islam , which is perceived as a threat to Chinese cultural homogeneity .
Over the decades , this situation has led to the coexistence of two Catholic Churches in China , one official church sanctioned by the government but not recognized by the Vatican , and an underground church loyal to Rome .
After decades of negotiations , the Vatican reached a provisional agreement in 2018 , in which it retroactively recognized the bishops ordained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordain new one while giving Beijing a say in the picks .
The agreement , which was set to expire last month but was temporarily renewed , has put an end to the division in the Chinese Catholic community and will allow for Chinese bishops to participate to synods and other events in Rome , something they were previously barred from because they were not formally recognized by the Vatican .
But it also comes at a time in which China is cracking down on religious freedoms , including that of its some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country ’ s population , not to mention Beijing ’ s human rights violations against Muslims .
According to several reports by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions ’ news agency , Chinese authorities have severely limited the practice of Catholic religion—including a prohibition on minors attending services and a ban on religious education in some provinces—and harassed priests who refuse to join the state-controlled church .
Some Chinese Catholics , speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions , have urged the pope not to renew the agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community .
But , when it comes to China , the Holy See is negotiating from a weak position .
Francis has almost no leverage to pressure Beijing on the treatment of Catholics , let alone broader human rights .
As an economic superpower with a small , embattled Catholic population , China isn ’ t eager to make significant concessions to the Vatican .
By contrast , the Holy See , which under Francis has vocally promoted human rights and hasn ’ t shied away from criticizing Western leaders , has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nations where its followers are in an underprivileged position .
While conservative Catholics in the United States , emboldened by their alliance with the Trump administration and its white evangelical fan base , are eager to wage an all-out culture war , Rome ’ s priorities couldn ’ t be more different .
By snubbing Pompeo , the pope made that clear .

If the medium is the message, the White House’s message to Pope Francis couldn’t be clearer. When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote an opinion piece last month in the magazine First Things, urging the Vatican not to renew its agreement with China on the appointment of bishops, the choice of outlet didn’t go unnoticed in Rome: In past years First Things, a religious publication close to the Catholic right, has grown increasingly favorable to the Trump administration and hostile toward the Holy See, declaring, among other things, Francis’s popedom “a failing papacy.”
If the medium is the message, the White House’s message to Pope Francis couldn’t be clearer. When U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote an opinion piece last month in the magazine First Things, urging the Vatican not to renew its agreement with China on the appointment of bishops, the choice of outlet didn’t go unnoticed in Rome: In past years First Things, a religious publication close to the Catholic right, has grown increasingly favorable to the Trump administration and hostile toward the Holy See, declaring, among other things, Francis’s popedom “a failing papacy.”
The venue itself “already says something about the intention of those who wrote this article,” the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told reporters. “It was a declaration of which side Pompeo was on,” Massimo Faggioli, a church historian at Villanova University who recently wrote the book The Liminal Papacy of Pope Francis, told me. Pompeo, an Evangelical Presbyterian, also met with Italy’s prime minister and foreign minister late last month to discuss China—according to the Italian press he warned them against Beijing’s involvement in 5G networks.
In this context, Faggioli points out, Pompeo’s intrusion into Chinese-Vatican relations had more to do with U.S. electoral politics than with China: “He was telling the Catholic and the evangelical right that he’s on their side and doesn’t care about clashing with the pope.” The Holy See has no official diplomatic relations with China and, far from being a comprehensive deal, the 2018 provisional agreement between the two that is on track to be renewed this month is strictly specific to the ordination of bishops in mainland China, which is not a top priority for U.S. President Donald Trump. The Catholic vote in the United States is, however.
The leadership of the Catholic Church in the United States, which leans politically conservative, is at odds with the direction that the pope is giving to the church, especially when it comes to issues such as protecting the environment, safeguarding migrants’ human rights, and fighting the death penalty—causes that are dear to Francis but hardly align with Republican politics.
Many U.S. bishops, Faggioli noted, see such conservative causes as the fight against abortion and the advocacy of traditional gender roles as “the only keys to the church’s survival,” while Francis has refused to focus his advocacy on just these issues. He has expressed progressive views on social, economic, and environmental issues, while firmly defending the church’s stance against abortion and against the notion that gender is a social construct, although he has slightly softened its rhetoric on homosexuality.
The culture war between Francis and the pro-Trump Catholic right has been dragging on for years, but it has accelerated in the past week, when the Vatican responded to Pompeo’s provocations with all its diplomatic—and theological—might.
When the U.S. secretary of state visited Rome last Wednesday, the pontiff refused to meet him. Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, met with Pompeo instead; the usually well informed La Stampa described the meeting as “icy” and said the two agreed to disagree. Officially, the pope’s refusal was due to a policy of not meeting officials from countries that are in the middle of an electoral campaign in order not to give the impression of taking sides.
But Parolin told reporters that the Holy See was “surprised” by the White House’s public meddling with its foreign policy and took time to stress that Pompeo had requested a meeting with Francis in vain. Another high-ranking Vatican official, the British bishop Paul Gallagher, publicly accused the Trump administration of attempting to “weaponize the pope” for electoral gains.
On Saturday, Francis released his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (“All Brothers”), focusing on brotherly love, which criticizes pretty just about everything the Trump administration stands for—from the distrust of immigrants to unregulated capitalism. The encyclical, Francis’s third, after Laudato Si’ (2015) and Lumen Fidei (2013), was of course in the works for a long time, and its publication was scheduled to coincide with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, who served as an inspiration. But the timing contributed to amplifying its message that is not-so-subtly critical of Trump and, by extension, his Catholic supporters.
“Ancient conflicts thought long buried are breaking out anew, while instances of a myopic, extremist, resentful and aggressive nationalism are on the rise,” wrote the pope, in a lengthy attack on resurgent nationalism. “In some countries, a concept of popular and national unity influenced by various ideologies is creating new forms of selfishness.”
In certain passages, it’s hard to miss the references to U.S. politics. “Certain populist political regimes, as well as certain liberal economic approaches, maintain that an influx of migrants is to be prevented at all costs,” reads the encyclical. “It is born of a certain insecurity and fear of the other that leads to rejection and the desire to erect walls for self-defence.”
The United States is home to around 51 million Catholic adults, evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, according to the Pew Research Center. It’s worth noting, though, that divisions often run along ethnic lines, with Hispanic Catholics leaning left and white Catholics leaning right, per Pew data.
Faggioli said that in the past decade the most traditional and white segment of the U.S. Catholic Church have converged politically with white evangelicals, fully embracing the nationalist, “America first” agenda, which previously was perceived as incompatible with Catholic universalist doctrine, even in conservative circles.
Among the most prominent pro-Trump Catholics, there are former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose wife, Callista Gingrich, was nominated by Trump as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, and former White House advisor (and culture warlord) Steve Bannon, who attempted to establish a right-wing political school in a former monastery outside Rome, to no avail.
The same group also has a negative opinion of Francis, whom they see as the logical consequence of the Second Vatican Council, which in the 1960s sought to modernize the church, to the dismay of hard-line conservatives. Just like white evangelicals, traditionalist Catholics see Trump as a bastion against postmodern cultural relativism.
Trump is actually losing some of his support among white Catholics.
But this doesn’t automatically translate to mass support for the Republican Party. Although still in the lead among this demographic group, Trump is actually losing some of his support among white Catholics: In the past election, 64 percent voted for him, while in the upcoming one about 59 percent plan to do so, according to the most recent Pew poll. If Democratic candidate Joe Biden were elected, that would make him the second Catholic president in U.S. history, after John F. Kennedy.
Pompeo’s attack seems specious both because relations with China are not a top priority for U.S. Catholics and because the renewed agreement between the Holy See and China is unlikely to alter the balance between Washington and Beijing, which the Trump administration sees as its main competitor.
However, the agreement is not above criticism.
Although the details are secret, the Vatican has made it clear that it is provisional and concerns solely the appointment of bishops in mainland China. It “has reestablished full communion with Chinese bishops ordained without papal mandate,” reads a statement by the Vatican’s news agency.
Since 1957, Chinese authorities have refused to let the pontiff pick his own bishops, taking it upon themselves to ordain bishops without papal approval, which is strictly incompatible with Catholic doctrine. Since its establishment, the People’s Republic of China has maintained the party line that religious activities in its territory should be limited and under the direct authority of the Communist Party, which is officially atheist. Catholicism in particular was viewed with suspicion in the early days, because it was associated with Western influence, but in the past few years Beijing has focused its efforts on containing Islam, which is perceived as a threat to Chinese cultural homogeneity.
Over the decades, this situation has led to the coexistence of two Catholic Churches in China, one official church sanctioned by the government but not recognized by the Vatican, and an underground church loyal to Rome. After decades of negotiations, the Vatican reached a provisional agreement in 2018, in which it retroactively recognized the bishops ordained by Chinese authorities and obtained the right to ordain new one while giving Beijing a say in the picks.
The agreement, which was set to expire last month but was temporarily renewed, has put an end to the division in the Chinese Catholic community and will allow for Chinese bishops to participate to synods and other events in Rome, something they were previously barred from because they were not formally recognized by the Vatican.
But it also comes at a time in which China is cracking down on religious freedoms, including that of its some 10 million Catholics, a tiny fraction of the country’s population, not to mention Beijing’s human rights violations against Muslims.
According to several reports by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions’ news agency, Chinese authorities have severely limited the practice of Catholic religion—including a prohibition on minors attending services and a ban on religious education in some provinces—and harassed priests who refuse to join the state-controlled church. Some Chinese Catholics, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions, have urged the pope not to renew the agreement because it’s not benefiting the community.
When it comes to China, the Holy See is negotiating from a weak position.
But, when it comes to China, the Holy See is negotiating from a weak position. Francis has almost no leverage to pressure Beijing on the treatment of Catholics, let alone broader human rights.
As an economic superpower with a small, embattled Catholic population, China isn’t eager to make significant concessions to the Vatican. By contrast, the Holy See, which under Francis has vocally promoted human rights and hasn’t shied away from criticizing Western leaders, has a history of maintaining a low political profile in nations where its followers are in an underprivileged position.
While conservative Catholics in the United States, emboldened by their alliance with the Trump administration and its white evangelical fan base, are eager to wage an all-out culture war, Rome’s priorities couldn’t be more different. By snubbing Pompeo, the pope made that clear.


foreignpolicy--2020-10-07--Crisis Grips Kyrgyzstan as Protesters Oust the Prime Minister

Here is today ’ s Foreign Policy brief : Kyrgyzstan faces its worst political crisis in years , regional powers lift sanctions on Mali , and international powers trade barbs over Nagorno-Karabakh .
We welcome your feedback at morningbrief @ foreignpolicy.com .
How did we get here ?
Protests erupted in the capital of Bishkek on Sunday after initial tallies suggested that the country ’ s two largest pro-government parties , Unity and My Homeland Kyrgyzstan , were slated to win a commanding 107 of the 120 available seats , despite securing just under 50 percent of the total vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other 14 parties that contested the election surpassed the 7 percent threshold needed to take seats .
Supporters of the 12 parties that didn ’ t win any seats led the demonstrations after the results were revealed , which eventually led to clashes with police .
What have protesters gained ?
Under intense pressure from protesters , the country ’ s Central Electoral Commission chose to annul the results of the election and promised to hold a new vote , leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tensions in the country , ” Nurzhan Shaildabekova , the head of the commission , said on Tuesday .
The parliament , now under the control of opposition leaders , elected Sadyr Zhaparov to fill the role of interim prime minister .
Zhaparov is a leading opposition figure who had been serving a prison sentence for taking a government official hostage in 2013 .
He was released from prison by protesters on Tuesday .
How did the government respond ?
Authorities initially responded to the outbreak of unrest with force , using tear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which led to one death and 686 injuries .
President Sooronbay Jeenbekov , however , ordered security forces to stop short of opening fire on protesters and called for calm .
The strong-arm tactics used by the security forces did little to restore order and prevent the takeover of government buildings .
Where is Russia ?
The unrest enveloping Kyrgyzstan represents the latest in a string of crises to grip Russia ’ s so-called near abroad , and much of the international community will look to see how Russia responds .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kyrgyzstan , its strategic partner and ally , ” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday .
“ We call on all political forces in this critical moment to be wise and responsible in order to preserve internal stability and safety.
” The former Soviet republic houses a Russian air base and maintains close relations with Moscow , but Russian officials have stopped well short of offering support to the embattled government .
Brexit talks progress .
The United Kingdom and European Union have made some progress in Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventual no-deal Brexit continues .
Sources told Reuters that the two sides were close to agreement on social security rights for their citizens after Brexit , a key issue that signals a broader consensus on a more comprehensive agreement is still possible .
But there is still much progress to be made .
An intensive round of negotiations last week produced no agreement on the three most contentious issues—fisheries , fair competition guarantees , and ways to settle future disputes—and the EU recently launched legal action against the British government over its effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Brexit withdrawal agreement .
As Laurence Blair wrote in Foreign Policy , fishing is a vital issue for the United Kingdom and an inability to reach an agreement on that issue could sink the negotiations .
War of words .
International powers have joined the fray as fighting continues between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh .
Turkey has stood firmly behind Azerbaijan , offering strong words of support on the international stage as it stands accused of sending militants to the region .
In a visit to Azerbaijan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cavusoglu criticized efforts at a ceasefire and condemned Armenia .
“ Let ’ s have a cease-fire , OK , but what will happen after that ?
Will you be able to tell Armenia to immediately withdraw from Azerbaijan ’ s territory ?
Or are you able to draw up a solution for it to withdraw ?
No , ” he said .
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad , whose government has been fighting Turkish-backed troops in the northeastern part of Syria , has also thrown himself into the mix , accusing Turkey of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiator of the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
” Mali sanctions lifted .
The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ) lifted sanctions on Mali on Tuesday , demonstrating the regional bloc ’ s support for the country ’ s new transitional government .
In a statement , the ECOWAS heads of state said the move was due to “ significant advances ” in the country ’ s return to civilian-led democracy following an August military coup—a reference to the appointment of civilians to lead the transitional government .
ECOWAS initially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the junta appointing civilians to interim leadership positions .
The future of the country was thrown into doubt after the junta named a retired colonel as president and one of its own coup leaders as vice president , but ECOWAS ultimately accepted the appointments after interim President Bah Ndaw selected a civilian with no military background to serve as prime minister .
Fallout in Russia over journalist self-immolation .
On Tuesday , the heads of several rights groups in Russia called on authorities to stop using house searches to intimidate opposition figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week .
The journalist , Irina Slavina , set herself on fire in front of an interior ministry building in Nizhny Novgorod a day after police raided her home in search of material linked to the opposition group Open Russia .
In a Facebook post before the self-immolation , Slavina blamed Russian authorities for her death .
The events come at a time of heightened international scrutiny of Russia over the use of strong-arm tactics to eliminate political threats .
Since his discharge from hospital after being poisoned last month , opposition leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to blame Moscow and , in particular , Russian President Vladimir Putin , for his poisoning .
“ I assert that Putin is behind this act , I don ’ t see any other explanation , ” he said in an interview last week .
Far-right extremists in the German police .
A report published by the German government ’ s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution on Tuesday documented more than 370 cases of right-wing extremism in the country ’ s police and security agencies , a disturbing trend in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way it has handled its Nazi past .
The report suggested that the problem was far more prevalent at the state level ; federal agencies accounted for only 58 of the total number of cases .
The publication of the report follows a series of controversies involving state and federal police officers .
Last week , 25 Berlin officers were put under investigation after it emerged that they were allegedly involved in a group chat that shared racist jokes and far-right ideas .
The report also follows recent blowback against the far-right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Monday , the party fired an official after he was caught on film suggesting officials could “ shoot ” or “ gas ” immigrants coming to the country .
Scientists Roger Penrose , Reinhard Genzel , and Andrea Ghez won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for their work on black holes .
Penrose won his share of the award for using mathematical constructs to prove that black holes are a consequence of Albert Einstein ’ s general theory of relativity , debunking a claim by Einstein that black holes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their part , Genzel and Ghez observed the motions of stars at the center of the Milky Way and determined that a supermassive object at its center could only be a black hole .
“ This year ’ s laureates have uncovered secrets in the darkest corner of our universe , ” said Ulf Danielsson , a professor of theoretical physics at Uppsala University in Sweden .
For more from FP , visit foreignpolicy.com , subscribe here , or sign up for our other newsletters .
Send your tips , comments , questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Here is today’s Foreign Policy brief: Kyrgyzstan faces its worst political crisis in years, regional powers lift sanctions on Mali, and international powers trade barbs over Nagorno-Karabakh.
If you would like to receive Morning Brief in your inbox every weekday, please sign up here.
Protesters Storm Government Buildings as Russia Looks on Kyrgyzstan has been thrown into crisis over the results of last weekend’s parliamentary elections, representing the latest in a string of post-Soviet republics to be rocked by political turmoil. The elections saw strong performances for two pro-government parties but were marred by allegations of electoral fraud. Opposition figures quickly took to the streets to protest the results, storming government buildings on Tuesday and forcing the resignations of top government officials.
How did we get here? Protests erupted in the capital of Bishkek on Sunday after initial tallies suggested that the country’s two largest pro-government parties, Unity and My Homeland Kyrgyzstan, were slated to win a commanding 107 of the 120 available seats, despite securing just under 50 percent of the total vote combined. Crucially, only two of the other 14 parties that contested the election surpassed the 7 percent threshold needed to take seats. Supporters of the 12 parties that didn’t win any seats led the demonstrations after the results were revealed, which eventually led to clashes with police.
What have protesters gained? Under intense pressure from protesters, the country’s Central Electoral Commission chose to annul the results of the election and promised to hold a new vote, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Kubatbek Boronov. “The decision aims to prevent an escalation of tensions in the country,” Nurzhan Shaildabekova, the head of the commission, said on Tuesday. The parliament, now under the control of opposition leaders, elected Sadyr Zhaparov to fill the role of interim prime minister. Zhaparov is a leading opposition figure who had been serving a prison sentence for taking a government official hostage in 2013. He was released from prison by protesters on Tuesday.
How did the government respond? Authorities initially responded to the outbreak of unrest with force, using tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters, which led to one death and 686 injuries. President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, however, ordered security forces to stop short of opening fire on protesters and called for calm. The strong-arm tactics used by the security forces did little to restore order and prevent the takeover of government buildings.
Where is Russia? The unrest enveloping Kyrgyzstan represents the latest in a string of crises to grip Russia’s so-called near abroad, and much of the international community will look to see how Russia responds. “Russia is interested in maintaining internal stability in Kyrgyzstan, its strategic partner and ally,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. “We call on all political forces in this critical moment to be wise and responsible in order to preserve internal stability and safety.” The former Soviet republic houses a Russian air base and maintains close relations with Moscow, but Russian officials have stopped well short of offering support to the embattled government.
What We’re Following Today
Brexit talks progress. The United Kingdom and European Union have made some progress in Brexit talks even as public speculation about an eventual no-deal Brexit continues. Sources told Reuters that the two sides were close to agreement on social security rights for their citizens after Brexit, a key issue that signals a broader consensus on a more comprehensive agreement is still possible.
But there is still much progress to be made. An intensive round of negotiations last week produced no agreement on the three most contentious issues—fisheries, fair competition guarantees, and ways to settle future disputes—and the EU recently launched legal action against the British government over its effort to override parts of last year’s Brexit withdrawal agreement. As Laurence Blair wrote in Foreign Policy, fishing is a vital issue for the United Kingdom and an inability to reach an agreement on that issue could sink the negotiations.
War of words. International powers have joined the fray as fighting continues between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey has stood firmly behind Azerbaijan, offering strong words of support on the international stage as it stands accused of sending militants to the region.
In a visit to Azerbaijan on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu criticized efforts at a ceasefire and condemned Armenia. “Let’s have a cease-fire, OK, but what will happen after that? Will you be able to tell Armenia to immediately withdraw from Azerbaijan’s territory? Or are you able to draw up a solution for it to withdraw? No,” he said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose government has been fighting Turkish-backed troops in the northeastern part of Syria, has also thrown himself into the mix, accusing Turkey of being “the main instigator and the initiator of the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Mali sanctions lifted. The 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) lifted sanctions on Mali on Tuesday, demonstrating the regional bloc’s support for the country’s new transitional government. In a statement, the ECOWAS heads of state said the move was due to “significant advances” in the country’s return to civilian-led democracy following an August military coup—a reference to the appointment of civilians to lead the transitional government.
ECOWAS initially said that the removal of sanctions rested on the junta appointing civilians to interim leadership positions. The future of the country was thrown into doubt after the junta named a retired colonel as president and one of its own coup leaders as vice president, but ECOWAS ultimately accepted the appointments after interim President Bah Ndaw selected a civilian with no military background to serve as prime minister.
Keep an Eye On
Fallout in Russia over journalist self-immolation. On Tuesday, the heads of several rights groups in Russia called on authorities to stop using house searches to intimidate opposition figures after the self-immolation of a journalist last week. The journalist, Irina Slavina, set herself on fire in front of an interior ministry building in Nizhny Novgorod a day after police raided her home in search of material linked to the opposition group Open Russia. In a Facebook post before the self-immolation, Slavina blamed Russian authorities for her death.
The events come at a time of heightened international scrutiny of Russia over the use of strong-arm tactics to eliminate political threats. Since his discharge from hospital after being poisoned last month, opposition leader Alexei Navalny has taken to the airwaves to blame Moscow and, in particular, Russian President Vladimir Putin, for his poisoning. “I assert that Putin is behind this act, I don’t see any other explanation,” he said in an interview last week.
Far-right extremists in the German police. A report published by the German government’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution on Tuesday documented more than 370 cases of right-wing extremism in the country’s police and security agencies, a disturbing trend in a country that often receives praise for the way it has handled its Nazi past. The report suggested that the problem was far more prevalent at the state level; federal agencies accounted for only 58 of the total number of cases.
The publication of the report follows a series of controversies involving state and federal police officers. Last week, 25 Berlin officers were put under investigation after it emerged that they were allegedly involved in a group chat that shared racist jokes and far-right ideas. The report also follows recent blowback against the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD). On Monday, the party fired an official after he was caught on film suggesting officials could “shoot” or “gas” immigrants coming to the country.
Odds and Ends
Scientists Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel, and Andrea Ghez won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for their work on black holes. Penrose won his share of the award for using mathematical constructs to prove that black holes are a consequence of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, debunking a claim by Einstein that black holes did not exist in reality. For their part, Genzel and Ghez observed the motions of stars at the center of the Milky Way and determined that a supermassive object at its center could only be a black hole. “This year’s laureates have uncovered secrets in the darkest corner of our universe,” said Ulf Danielsson, a professor of theoretical physics at Uppsala University in Sweden.
That’s it for today.
For more from FP, visit foreignpolicy.com, subscribe here, or sign up for our other newsletters. Send your tips, comments, questions, or corrections to morningbrief@foreignpolicy.com.


foreignpolicy--2020-10-07--Are China’s Shelves Running Empty?

Are China’s Shelves Running Empty?

Welcome to Foreign Policy ’ s China Brief .
The highlights this week : A state campaign against food waste raises questions about China ’ s food security , what to make of an investigation of a former political aide to Vice President Wang Qishan , and Chinese tourists stay home for Golden Week .
If you would like to receive China Brief in your inbox every Wednesday , please sign up here .
An ongoing campaign against wasting food in China has sparked questions over the country ’ s food security amid a global agricultural crisis .
The “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August and promoted by President Xi Jinping himself , has limited the number of dishes allowed at restaurant tables and led to a flurry of postings by celebrities showcasing their parsimonious eating habits .
Online commenters have pushed back on the Washington Post ’ s coverage of the campaign in what appears to be a mixture of genuine sentiment and irate nationalism , arguing that the measures were moral , not the result of any incipient crisis .
But it is the poor who are the worst affected by food price inflation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for much of 2020 .
Xi , meanwhile , has said that citizens should retain a “ sense of crisis ” about food security .
Crisis mode ?
Food prices in China have risen sharply this year due to natural disasters .
Pork prices have fluctuated wildly after last year ’ s African swine fever outbreaks .
The government drew upon its deep pork reserves , but now those are running out , forcing prices back up again .
Flooding in southern China , meanwhile , ruined around 13 million acres of crops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reassure the public that food supplies are stable may indicate Beijing ’ s sense of insecurity .
Agricultural workers make up roughly 25 percent of China ’ s population—down from 40 percent in 2008 , but still far higher than in developed economies .
Projecting power .
But the campaign ’ s purpose may be as much about the image of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) as national needs .
Gluttonous and corrupt officials are an old source of anger in China .
Anti-corruption campaigns in 2013 , Xi ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by officials .
The new campaign may be intended to signal CCP disapproval of wasteful spending , manufacturing an “ all in this together ” spirit .
New measures banning work-week drinking for officials—even off duty—appear to follow these lines .
Apart from the moralistic element , gifts of expensive alcohol and cigarettes are a regular vehicle for bribery .
The government has done nothing , however , to eliminate the private and highly secretive food supply system that the powerful enjoy .
Between the coronavirus pandemic , ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hong Kong , it ’ s been a very bad year for China ’ s image .
New polling from the Pew Research Center shows sharp rises in negative views of China around the world , as Foreign Policy ’ s Amy Mackinnon , Darcy Palder , and Colum Lynch report .
Public opinion of the United States has also fallen under the Trump administration , but an end to Trumpism now seems a lot more possible than an end to China ’ s new authoritarianism .
Key Wang ally targeted .
Dong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan , is under investigation for “ serious discipline violations ” —a phrase likely to mean a formal conviction for corruption and other offenses in the next year or two for Dong .
Wang ’ s control of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection , which polices CCP members , played a key role in Xi ’ s rise to power , and Wang is usually seen as one of his close allies .
But targeting aides is a common way of beginning a campaign against senior officials , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wang might be next .
Since the outside world knows so little about what goes on inside the elite level of Chinese politics , almost anything is possible—from Dong ’ s connection to Wang being weaker than stated to Xi ’ s paranoia extending to his own allies .
German ambiguity .
German attitudes toward China remain sharply divided : Public opinion has turned against Beijing , but the German government and business elite remains committed to its vision of China as a large market for Germany .
( China is Germany ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and the rest of the European Union . )
Reporting this week by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian at Axios revealed that a high-ranking German official blocked a 2018 report on just how far Chinese influence in the country extended—even within the government itself .
China ’ s global law .
An overwrought message—including five exclamation marks in successive sentences—issued by the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom threatens protesters in London with Hong Kong ’ s national security law , calling for their arrest by the British authorities .
Many critics have emphasized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leaning into it seems like an error for China ’ s global image .
But the embassy in London , like China ’ s diplomatic missions across the West , appears more concerned with maintaining its own status in a paranoid environment at home .
Golden Week stays home .
It ’ s Golden Week in China , the annual holiday that surrounds National Day on Oct. 1 .
But with the pandemic effectively closing off foreign travel , Chinese tourists have been forced to go domestic .
In October , Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other nearby hot spots , but instead they have headed to the southern island of Hainan to get a taste of the sun .
Even with tourism redirected , a weak economy and pandemic fears meant that domestic consumption was down by a 31 percent since last year , which bodes poorly for consumer confidence .
Video game hit .
The just-released Chinese-made game Genshin Impact is a huge hit with Western consumers—a rarity for a AAA game designed only by a Chinese studio , though Chinese firms own a large share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many mobile-first games , Genshin Impact is free to play but depends on hooking a small number of high spenders through in-game gambling for powerful characters .
The game ’ s adherence to Chinese censorship has already turned off some gamers , though , with terms including “ Hong Kong ” and “ Taiwan ” banned in its chat services .
China ’ s climate promises .
Recent pledges by Xi that China would slash carbon emissions by 2060 drew some excited headlines—but they are basically worthless without actual , short-term commitments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of things in the future , including forced reunification with Taiwan ; that doesn ’ t mean they ’ re going to happen .
Existing Chinese emissions have rebounded since the start of the pandemic , following a familiar pattern in which the enforcement of environmental regulations are weakened during times of economic crisis in order to spur recovery and drive up GDP figures .
A Dictionary of Maqiao , by Han Shaogong , translated by Julia Lovell The differing perspectives on China ’ s food crisis from the city and the countryside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explorations of rural life : Han Shaogong ’ s 1996 A Dictionary of Maqiao .
The book is a depiction of a ( fictional ) Chinese village through the uniqueness of its dialect and life—and is one of the richest and funniest portrayals of the countryside and of the diversity of local Chinese culture .
Over the course of the book , its entries—including sex , gods , and the “ street-sickness ” of visiting the city—coalesce into a story of the damage done to ordinary villagers by politics and vendettas .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We welcome your feedback at newsletters @ foreignpolicy.com .
You can find older editions of China Brief here .
For more from Foreign Policy , subscribe here or sign up for our other newsletters .

Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief. The highlights this week: A state campaign against food waste raises questions about China’s food security, what to make of an investigation of a former political aide to Vice President Wang Qishan, and Chinese tourists stay home for Golden Week.
Welcome to Foreign Policy’s China Brief. The highlights this week: A state campaign against food waste raises questions about China’s food security, what to make of an investigation of a former political aide to Vice President Wang Qishan, and Chinese tourists stay home for Golden Week.
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Waste Not, Want Not?
An ongoing campaign against wasting food in China has sparked questions over the country’s food security amid a global agricultural crisis. The “clean plate” campaign, launched in August and promoted by President Xi Jinping himself, has limited the number of dishes allowed at restaurant tables and led to a flurry of postings by celebrities showcasing their parsimonious eating habits.
Online commenters have pushed back on the Washington Post’s coverage of the campaign in what appears to be a mixture of genuine sentiment and irate nationalism, arguing that the measures were moral, not the result of any incipient crisis. But it is the poor who are the worst affected by food price inflation, which has run at over 10 percent for much of 2020. Xi, meanwhile, has said that citizens should retain a “sense of crisis” about food security.
Crisis mode? Food prices in China have risen sharply this year due to natural disasters. Pork prices have fluctuated wildly after last year’s African swine fever outbreaks. The government drew upon its deep pork reserves, but now those are running out, forcing prices back up again. Flooding in southern China, meanwhile, ruined around 13 million acres of crops.
The eagerness of state media to reassure the public that food supplies are stable may indicate Beijing’s sense of insecurity. Agricultural workers make up roughly 25 percent of China’s population—down from 40 percent in 2008, but still far higher than in developed economies.
Projecting power. But the campaign’s purpose may be as much about the image of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as national needs. Gluttonous and corrupt officials are an old source of anger in China. Anti-corruption campaigns in 2013, Xi’s first year in power, limited banqueting by officials. The new campaign may be intended to signal CCP disapproval of wasteful spending, manufacturing an “all in this together” spirit.
New measures banning work-week drinking for officials—even off duty—appear to follow these lines. Apart from the moralistic element, gifts of expensive alcohol and cigarettes are a regular vehicle for bribery. The government has done nothing, however, to eliminate the private and highly secretive food supply system that the powerful enjoy.
Beijing’s PR Disaster
Between the coronavirus pandemic, ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang, and the new national security law in Hong Kong, it’s been a very bad year for China’s image. New polling from the Pew Research Center shows sharp rises in negative views of China around the world, as Foreign Policy’s Amy Mackinnon, Darcy Palder, and Colum Lynch report.
Public opinion of the United States has also fallen under the Trump administration, but an end to Trumpism now seems a lot more possible than an end to China’s new authoritarianism.
What We’re Following
Key Wang ally targeted. Dong Hong, a former political aide to Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, is under investigation for “serious discipline violations”—a phrase likely to mean a formal conviction for corruption and other offenses in the next year or two for Dong. Wang’s control of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which polices CCP members, played a key role in Xi’s rise to power, and Wang is usually seen as one of his close allies.
But targeting aides is a common way of beginning a campaign against senior officials, and the rumor mill is buzzing that Wang might be next. Since the outside world knows so little about what goes on inside the elite level of Chinese politics, almost anything is possible—from Dong’s connection to Wang being weaker than stated to Xi’s paranoia extending to his own allies.
German ambiguity. German attitudes toward China remain sharply divided: Public opinion has turned against Beijing, but the German government and business elite remains committed to its vision of China as a large market for Germany. (China is Germany’s third-biggest export partner, behind the United States and the rest of the European Union.) Reporting this week by Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian at Axios revealed that a high-ranking German official blocked a 2018 report on just how far Chinese influence in the country extended—even within the government itself.
China’s global law. An overwrought message—including five exclamation marks in successive sentences—issued by the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom threatens protesters in London with Hong Kong’s national security law, calling for their arrest by the British authorities. Many critics have emphasized the global scope of the law, and leaning into it seems like an error for China’s global image. But the embassy in London, like China’s diplomatic missions across the West, appears more concerned with maintaining its own status in a paranoid environment at home.
Tech and Business
Golden Week stays home. It’s Golden Week in China, the annual holiday that surrounds National Day on Oct. 1. But with the pandemic effectively closing off foreign travel, Chinese tourists have been forced to go domestic. In October, Chinese visitors usually flood Thailand, Cambodia, and other nearby hot spots, but instead they have headed to the southern island of Hainan to get a taste of the sun.
Even with tourism redirected, a weak economy and pandemic fears meant that domestic consumption was down by a 31 percent since last year, which bodes poorly for consumer confidence.
Video game hit. The just-released Chinese-made game Genshin Impact is a huge hit with Western consumers—a rarity for a AAA game designed only by a Chinese studio, though Chinese firms own a large share of foreign video game companies. Like many mobile-first games, Genshin Impact is free to play but depends on hooking a small number of high spenders through in-game gambling for powerful characters.
The game’s adherence to Chinese censorship has already turned off some gamers, though, with terms including “Hong Kong” and “Taiwan” banned in its chat services.
China’s climate promises. Recent pledges by Xi that China would slash carbon emissions by 2060 drew some excited headlines—but they are basically worthless without actual, short-term commitments in the decades ahead. China promises lots of things in the future, including forced reunification with Taiwan; that doesn’t mean they’re going to happen.
Existing Chinese emissions have rebounded since the start of the pandemic, following a familiar pattern in which the enforcement of environmental regulations are weakened during times of economic crisis in order to spur recovery and drive up GDP figures.
What We’re Reading
A Dictionary of Maquiao, Han Shaogong, trans. Julia Lovell, Penguin Random House, 2005.
A Dictionary of Maqiao, by Han Shaogong, translated by Julia Lovell
The differing perspectives on China’s food crisis from the city and the countryside reminded me of one of the greatest explorations of rural life: Han Shaogong’s 1996 A Dictionary of Maqiao. The book is a depiction of a (fictional) Chinese village through the uniqueness of its dialect and life—and is one of the richest and funniest portrayals of the countryside and of the diversity of local Chinese culture.
Over the course of the book, its entries—including sex, gods, and the “street-sickness” of visiting the city—coalesce into a story of the damage done to ordinary villagers by politics and vendettas.
That’s it for this week.
We welcome your feedback at newsletters@foreignpolicy.com. You can find older editions of China Brief here. For more from Foreign Policy, subscribe here or sign up for our other newsletters.