President Xi Jinping heads to Russia, a key US official travels to Asia for talks on DPRK denuclearization, the state of the EU address is given, and trade is again in the spotlight, with EU and US officials to sit down for talks as Washington threatens fresh tariffs on China.
Xi to Vladivostok
President Xi Jinping travels to Russia on Tuesday to attend the 4th Easter Economic Forum, the first time a Chinese leader has attended the Vladivostok event. He will hold talks with counterpart Vladimir Putin, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is among the other leaders expected. DPRK leader Kim Jong Un was invited, but reports over the weekend suggest he now intends to visit Russia at a later date. The newly-appointed US special representative to the DPRK, Stephen Biegun, meanwhile, will pay visits to the capitals of South Korea, China and Japan this week, according to the US State Department. A trip to Pyongyang was not announced.
Battle for Idlib
Tensions are rising over Idlib province, the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria. The Syrian government and Russian jets intensified attacks last week in a developing battle to retake the northwestern region. There are thought to be several thousand rebel and jihadist fighters in Idlib; the UN says there are almost three million people there in total. The UN has warned of a possible humanitarian disaster and Turkey last week called for a truce, fearing that a fresh offensive could lead to migrants fleeing towards its border. At a summit on Friday, Putin and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani rejected a ceasefire and expressed support for a military operation.
Europe sits down with US
Jean-Claude Juncker will give his final State of the Union address as European Commission president on Wednesday, with a focus likely to be on migration and unity, but the more consequential event in Brussels could be a meeting between EU and US trade representatives. European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom is scheduled to hold talks with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday, and although tensions have calmed since the Juncker-Trump meeting in July, little has actually been resolved – a US call for more access to the European market for its agricultural products is particularly divisive.
Fresh tariffs on China?
As Europe and the US begin negotiations to end trade frictions, Washington could be set to announce a new round of tariffs on China. The comment period on levies targeting 200 billion US dollars' worth of imports from China ended last week, and eyes are tuned to @realdonaldtrump to see if and when they are implemented. "If the United States, regardless of opposition, adopts any new tariff measures, China will be forced to roll out necessary retaliatory measures," Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng warned last week.
Day-by-day
Monday: Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe, Japan's PM, meet the press after talks in Vladivostok, new US special envoy for the DPRK Stephen Biegun starts a trip to South Korea, China and Japan, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom meets with Robert Lighthizer, the US Trade Representative, in Brussels, Indonesian President Joko Widodo meets South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Seoul, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura hosts officials from Russia, Iran and Turkey in Geneva.
Tuesday: President Xi Jinping travels to Vladivostok for the 4th Eastern Economic Forum, China's Vice Premier of the State Council Hu Chunhua attends the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Hanoi, and Bob Woodward's book on the Trump presidency, 'Fear,' is released.
Wednesday: Vice Premier of China's State Council Han Zheng attends the 15th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, Maltese Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela begins a visit to China, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gives his final annual State of the Union speech, and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is among the leaders at the WEF on ASEAN in Vietnam.
Thursday: The presidents of 13 EU members meet in Latvia to discuss the future of Europe and security challenges, and Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon challenges New York governor Andrew Cuomo in a Democratic primary election.
Friday: German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Lithuania for talks with leaders from the three Baltic states, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addresses a German-Russian forum in Berlin on prospects of creating EU-Russia free trade zone, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj visits Syria, while the UN's Syria envoy de Mistura hosts officials from the US, Europe and Arab nations in Geneva.
Saturday: Iraq's new parliament elects its president.
Sunday: Merkel holds talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Berlin, and Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launches a national tour before taking office.