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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Matt Berg | |  During a campaign event in California on Tuesday, President Joe Biden explained how Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping was apparently unaware that the Chinese spy balloon was floating across the continental United States in February. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | With help from Alex Ward and Ari Hawkins Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt What’s President JOE BIDEN’s angle for calling Chinese paramount leader XI JINPING a dictator when Washington is trying to mend relations? There probably isn’t one, experts say. During a campaign event in California on Tuesday, Biden explained how Xi was apparently unaware that the Chinese spy balloon, which was shot down days after being spotted, was floating across the continental United States in February. “That was the great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn’t know what happened,” Biden said, simultaneously spilling a piece of sensitive intelligence that surprised some U.S. officials. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson MAO NING clapped back, calling the remarks “extremely absurd and irresponsible” and “a blatant political provocation.” His motivation behind the dig was a political head-scratcher, considering Washington’s efforts to salvage diplomatic relations with Beijing. It’s not a shocking comment because of its content — Biden previously called Xi a “thug” — but because of the increasingly fraught tensions between Washington and Beijing as the pair rebuild relations amid news of a Chinese spy operation and potential military base in Cuba. MILES YU, director of the China Center at Hudson Institute, was happy to hear Biden’s comment “even though it was most likely a gaffe, because candor and straightforwardness are crucial in dealing” with the Chinese Communist Party, he told NatSec Daily. On Monday, Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN made headway during a long-sought meeting with Xi. But Blinken didn’t succeed in reopening military-to-military communications, his goal of the meeting. There’s a chance Biden’s blunder could actually help, as it “added some teeth to the secretary’s entreaties to Beijing and made it easier for the CCP to understand, and hopefully submit to, America’s ultimate strength in ideas and values,” Yu said. Others aren’t nearly as convinced that the remarks could help American diplomacy. “It's going to reinforce the Chinese perception that the United States is inherently incapable of accepting China on its own terms, as an equal on the global stage,” CHRIS CHIVVIS, director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told NatSec Daily. It’s possible that Blinken’s visit was a stepping stone to a summit between Biden and Xi, Chivvis added, but “that's going to be all the more difficult now because it's going to be hard for Xi to sit down next to Biden after he's made this kind of comment.” Bottom line: It’s impossible to know what actions Beijing will, or will not, take in response. It seems unlikely China would pull back, as closer relations would help its flailing economy, but no world leader likes to be insulted publicly. Read: Military bases and Biden quips complicate thaw of U.S.-China ties by Alex and JONATHAN LEMIRE.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | CHINESE WORKERS TRACKED IN CUBA: Speaking of tensions, U.S. officials tracked Chinese workers at telecom companies Huawei and ZTE at a facility suspected of housing an eavesdropping operation in Cuba during the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal’s KATE O’KEEFFE reports. That contributed to suspicions within the Trump administration as to whether the telecom companies were playing a role in China’s spying efforts from the island, according to people familiar with the matter. It wasn’t clear whether the Biden administration had continued looking into that angle. Neither company makes tools that governments would use for eavesdropping, but people familiar with the matter said they both specialize in tech that could theoretically transmit data back to China, like servers and network equipment. Huawei denied “such groundless accusations” to the Journal, saying it was “committed to full compliance with the applicable laws and regulations where we operate.” ZTE didn’t respond to a request for comment. WHEN IN ROMANIA: A coalition of Western countries think Romania could be a good place to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, a current and a former Defense Department official with knowledge of the effort told our own LARA SELIGMAN and LILI BAYER. Specifically, the group is working to negotiate a contract to conduct the aircraft training at a site in Romania, the people said. It’s likely that Lockheed Martin, which builds the F-16, would conduct the training, they added. Details about the training program have been slow to emerge since Biden lent his support to the effort last month. The Netherlands and Denmark are leading the multinational training effort, but the partners have not yet settled the question of which countries would provide the aircraft required for training. EUROPE’S NEW MARSHALL PLAN: As top global figures, governments and private investors flocked to London today for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, signs pointed to the Western world preparing to open its purse strings to help Ukraine rebuild, our own SUZANNE LYNCH reports. The European Commission unveiled a new multi-year, billion-euro project to help with the reconstruction of Ukraine on Tuesday — the first major economic grouping to outline a costed, multiannual funding plan. For Ukraine, officials say rebuilding is vital. “Reconstruction is already happening. It’s part of our resistance,” OLEKSANDRA AZARKHINA, Ukraine's deputy minister for communities, territories and infrastructure development, told Suzanne. “People have left Ukraine, but at the same time, millions are staying — working, living here. We need to find ways to provide access to the basic needs of those people." VOLODYMYR OMELYAN, a captain in the Ukraine Armed Forces and the country’s former minister of infrastructure, told NatSec Daily that in the mid-term, the “biggest challenge is absence of clear vision on how ‘Ukraine-after the war’ will look like … It worries me a lot because post-war challenges for all, including Ukraine, might be even bigger if Ukraine is in economical gap.” The current approach by the West presented in London is “very good but standard,” Omelyan told us. ETHIOPIAN FOOD SHORTAGE: Three months ago, the United States and U.N. suspended food aid to parts of Ethiopia over concerns about it being stolen. Now, many in the country are starving as officials struggle to find a secure way forward, the Associated Press’ ELLEN KNICKMEYER and CARA ANNA report. The massive theft in March, which included enough supplies to feed 134,000 people in a month and may have involved some senior Ethiopian officials, could be the largest diversion of food aid in any country ever, U.S. aid officials said at a private meeting last week. In the Tigray region, the earliest the aid could resume would be July, according to U.S. and U.N. officials. After that, when reforms in aid distribution are settled, food aid could resume to the rest of the country. IT’S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and mberg@politico.com, and follow us on Twitter at @alexbward and @mattberg33. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, @_AriHawkins and @JGedeon1.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | | HALEY’S CHINA SPEECH: GOP presidential candidate NIKKI HALEY is set to deliver a “major foreign policy speech” on the future of U.S.-China relations at the American Enterprise Institute on Friday. Since she declared her candidacy, Haley’s team has boasted her credentials as the former U.N. ambassador in the Trump administration. A China hawk, she recently blasted Biden as having "utterly failed in his dealings with China — militarily, economically and diplomatically.” Leading up to the event, her campaign team noted a number of stances she has taken to counter China, which include calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in 2021, penning op-eds criticizing American corporations for being involved with China and warning of the threats posed by Beijing, and convincing China and Russia to sign onto the “toughest set of sanctions ever against North Korea.”
| | | LET’S COMPETE BETTER: The House Armed Services Committee today unanimously approved language to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity and emerging technology program to better compete with China, our own MAGGIE MILLER reports (for Pros!). Rep. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-Wis.), chair of the Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems Subcommittee, said during the markup that the CCP has been waging a “cold war” with the U.S. over issues including technology competition and stressed the need to approve measures to allow the U.S. to compete. One amendment offered by Gallagher, as part of the committee’s day-long markup of the House version of the proposed 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, would codify into law the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, which helps study and put into use emerging technologies. AN AI GAMEPLAN: Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER unveiled his framework to get Congress on a path toward comprehensive AI legislation today, but the details are still murky, our own BRENDAN BORDELON reports. Schumer’s “SAFE Innovation framework” builds on his April announcement of a “major effort” to develop federal regulations for AI. The acronym stands for security, accountability, foundations and explain, which together make up four of the five principles underpinning Schumer’s legislative approach to the fast-moving technology. “Many want to ignore AI because it’s so complex,” Schumer said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, where he announced the new framework. “But when it comes to AI, we cannot be ostriches sticking our heads in the sand.” Wrapping their heads around AI has been tough for lawmakers, Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas) and Rep. TED LIEU (D-Calif.) have said in recent days, but a clear framework to work with could help U.S. lawmakers catch up to the EU in regulating the technology. ON TOP OF AI: The White House chief of staff’s office is meeting multiple times a week to develop ways for the government to ensure that artificial intelligence is used safely, our own ANDREW ZHANG reported Tuesday. The White House said meetings take place two to three times a week.
| | | | LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today. | | | | | | | | IN THE CLEAR: An American antimissile system in South Korea that has angered Beijing in years past has been approved for full deployment, WSJ’s TIMOTHY MARTIN reports. When a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery was installed over six years ago in South Korea during a flare-up of North Korean weapons provocations, Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang vocally opposed the action. A complete rollout was stalled by environmental concerns until late last week, when officials determined the health risks were insignificant. The THAAD system is capable of shooting down short- and medium-range missiles from the north, and the system’s radar has a wider range than other South Korean missile defense systems, allowing it to reach into China and Russia. The full system is expected to be deployed next year.
| | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — PRODDING THE PENTAGON: A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation today that would require the Defense Department to pass an independent audit by the end of fiscal year 2024. If enacted, the Audit the Pentagon Act of 2023 would require any DOD component that fails to pass an audit to return 1 percent of its budget to the Treasury for deficit reduction. “If we are serious about spending taxpayer dollars wisely and effectively, we have got to end the absurdity of the Pentagon being the only agency in the federal government that has never passed an independent audit,” wrote Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.), who co-led the bill alongside CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa). Co-sponsors include Sens. RON WYDEN (D-Ore.), MIKE LEE (R-Utah), ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.), MIKE BRAUN (R-Ind.), JEFF MERKLEY (D-Ore.), RAND PAUL (R-Ky.), ED MARKEY (D-Mass.), and TAMMY BALDWIN (D-Wis.). The Pentagon, which has a budget totaling $886 billion for fiscal year 2024, has long come under fire for excessive spending. Calls for oversight have ramped up in recent months after reports of massive price gouging by defense contractors, who will receive almost half of the budget this year. With such bipartisan support for a measure calling for accountability, it’s likely the bill would have a good shot at passing. HEADS UP! MORE MARKUPS: Diversity and abortion policies are taking center stage today as HASC considers its annual defense policy bill, with conservatives pushing to rein in programs they deem distractions from the military’s mission, our own CONNOR O’BRIEN, LEE HUDSON and JOE GOULD report. The new GOP majority, under Armed Services Chair MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.), will need to walk a narrow path between endorsing conservative policies in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and maintaining the support of Democrats who will be needed to pass the bill on the House floor next month. The panel is set to consider more than 800 amendments to the bill. “We all have the same goal: to support the men and women who serve our nation. If we keep that goal in mind, I am very optimistic that the bill we report today will enjoy strong bipartisan support,” Rogers said as the panel opened its markup. Wish our reporters luck as they drink coffee into the wee hours of the night, probably. ALSO: Read the HASC markup amendments to the NDAA (for Pros!) by Connor.
| | KAZAKHSTAN DROPS TALKS WITH SYRIA: Kazakhstan said it will stop hosting talks aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict, in a move that surprised Moscow, according to the AP’s VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV. Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry claimed the talks had accomplished “the initial goals, including the creation of de-escalation zones, ending the bloodshed and reducing the number of casualties have been fully implemented.” A ministry spokesperson highlighted Syria’s return to the Arab League and praised efforts to mend ties with Turkey as evidence the talks had achieved their intended results. ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, the Kremlin’s envoy to Syria, who also led Russia’s delegation during the meetings, told reporters that “the Kazakh foreign ministry’s move was unexpected.”
| | — FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY: MICHAEL KOFMAN is joining the Carnegie Endowment as a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program. He served as the director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses and an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
| | | |   | | | | | — ANTHONY BURKE, The Washington Post: Here’s how to prosecute Russia for Ukraine’s catastrophic flood — JERUSALEM DEMSAS, The Atlantic: How deterrence policies create border chaos — HUSAIN HAQQANI and APARNA PANDE, The Hill: Modi in Washington: A symbolic visit for a substantive partnership
| | — Gold Institute for International Strategy, 8 a.m.: The Future of Strategic Alliances Conference & Dinner Event — Wilson Center's Asia Program, 9 a.m.: The U.S.-ROK Alliance at 70: The Outlook After the Washington Declaration — Center for a New American Security, 9 a.m.: The All-Volunteer Force at 50: Recruitment, Retention, and Quality of Life in the Air Force — International Institute for Strategic Studies, 10 a.m.: Germany's first National Security Strategy — Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 10:30 a.m.: Examining U.S. and Global Commitments to Combatting Human Trafficking — Atlantic Council, 11:30 a.m.: Defense Journal launch: Turkish-American defense ties — Institute for the Study of War, 12 p.m.: ISW's Second Virtual Briefing with Ukraine Experts — House Foreign Affairs Committee, 1 p.m.: The Vilnius Summit and War in Ukraine: Assessing U.S. Policy towards Europe and NATO — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 3 p.m.: North Korea's Futures: National Intelligence Estimates Thanks to our editor, Emma Anderson, who’s equivalent to a dictator with her edits. We also thank our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who ensures our writing / editing process is democratic.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
