Always Be Communicating.
Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
Keynote: How to be a world-class geopolitical business communicator
Here is the audio from my keynote presentation at the Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) spring meeting hosted by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
My goal for this keynote was for attendees to understand how to capture information, utilize communications frameworks, and engage the media and other essential stakeholders, focusing on communications at the intersection of geopolitics and commerce.
VALET is a two-year international business acceleration program.
This award-winning program offers a powerful combination of capital resources provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia and professional services from expert private sector partners.
VALET program benefits include executive training, international sales plan development, educational events, and customized research.
The VALET program generates an average increase in international sales of 59% for participating companies and has helped over 350 Virginia companies since its inception.
Listen here.
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The Tiananmen massacre and China’s pragmatist soft power: Thirty-four years ago, China’s Communist government ordered the army to fire on protestors at Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds, if not thousands. Jianli Yang
In China, repression is becoming more and more aggressive: Le Monde reports human rights activists are receiving extremely harsh prison sentences. Even ordinary comedians bear the brunt of Beijing's crackdown.
Hiding an army at the top of the world Liam Denning
How the US is deepening military alliances in China’s backyard: The Biden administration is stepping up security initiatives to boost deterrence and better prepare for potential conflict over Taiwan. FT
Philippines to step up ties with US-Japan-Australia coalition: Nikkei reports the new defense arrangement includes cooperation in the South China Sea.
CIA chief made secret trip to China in bid to thaw relations: FT reports Bill Burns is the most senior Biden administration official to have visited the country.
Bill Burns is Team Biden's MVP.
World's spy chiefs meet in secret conclave in Singapore Reuters
US and China trade barbs as warships have close encounter: WSJ reports China's defense minister cast the US as a hegemonic power in a speech at a Singapore security conference.
US and China lock horns at Asia’s top security forum WP
China’s new defense chief ghosts the US, but meets with Europeans: Politico reports at a top Asian security forum, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu refused to go beyond a handshake with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin.
Is the Chinese army really ready to attack Taiwan? For a decade, Beijing has strengthened all the components of its army, which Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked to prepare for an offensive. Tensions around the island have never been so high. Le Monde
How Taiwan became the indispensable economy: Fearing a potential conflict in Asia, Western companies are looking to move production out of Taiwan. But severing ties with the self-ruled island will come at a high price for manufacturers. Nikkei
Thursday: Ko Wen-je, leader of Taiwan's People's Party (TPP), will speak at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ) in Tokyo to discuss recent developments on the island and what he would do as its president.
China won’t save the US from recession this time: Beijing’s supply-side stimulus eased the 2009 contraction, but don’t expect another one. Joseph C. Sternberg
Why China’s government might struggle to revive its economy: Low inflation should make things easier. But officials have other concerns. Economist
Today: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to meet his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi as the two countries work toward strengthening military ties.
WP: India train crash that killed 275 raises questions about 19th-century rail network
How India is using digital technology to project power: Narendra Modi sees his country’s digital public infrastructure as an Indian Belt and Road Initiative. Economist
NATO's Stoltenberg again urges Turkey to let Sweden join: DW reports NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has urged Turkey to stop holding up Sweden's NATO entry bid, saying membership "will make Sweden safer but also make NATO and Turkey stronger."
Saudi Arabia cuts oil output after OPEC clash: WSJ reports Saudi Arabia said it would make a voluntary cut of 1 million barrels a day as part of a deal between OPEC and its allies after hours of wrangling over the cartel’s production plan.
Ukraine sells itself as the EU’s new energy hub: Politico reports Naftogaz’s CEO says Kyiv can help the EU wean itself off Russian fossil fuels.
Orlen: Is Poland’s energy giant a tool of the government? The oil and gas company and its chief executive are at the center of a debate over political influence on the economy. FT
Is Canada’s west looking to break free from Justin Trudeau? A conservative victory in Alberta lays the groundwork for separation. Michael Cuenco
The United States can no longer assume that the rest of the world is on its side Fareed Zakaria
A collision between the masses who want to move out West and dwindling resources: The decision to limit construction in some parts of the fast-growing Phoenix suburbs is another major warning about how climate change is disrupting lifestyles and economies. WP
WP: Sonic boom heard across DC area caused by military flight, officials say
Light plane crashes after chase by jet fighters in Washington area: Reuters reports US authorities scrambled jet fighters to pursue a light aircraft that violated airspace in the Washington DC area and later crashed into mountainous terrain in southwest Virginia, U.S. officials said. The jet fighters caused a sonic boom over the US capital as they raced to catch up with the Cessna Citation, which can carry between seven to 12 passengers, officials said.
Sunak in DC: On Thursday, Sunak will become the first British PM to address an annual gathering of chief executives from America’s biggest companies, organized by the Business Roundtable for 50 years.
+ Sunak is also likely this week to raise the candidacy of Ben Wallace, the defense secretary, to be the next secretary-general of NATO. No Briton has held the role since Labour’s Lord Robertson took it on after the war in Kosovo two decades ago.
Ron DeSantis’s joyless ride: The ultimate performative politician doesn’t seem to enjoy the in-person performance of politics. Mark Leibovich
Ron DeSantis works to soften his image on the campaign trail: Florida governor steps outside his policy comfort zone to take on Donald Trump as Republican presidential nominee. FT
Nikki Haley, like other long shots, sees a path to victory: It runs through Iowa, and over Donald Trump. Economist
Chuck Todd to be replaced by Kristen Welker on ‘Meet the Press’: WSJ reports Todd, who has anchored the Sunday program on NBC since 2014, will step down in September.
+ Fort Bragg drops Confederate name to become Fort Liberty
How the world must respond to the AI revolution Ian Bremmer
In Montréal, one of the fathers of artificial intelligence warns of an existential threat to mankind: Yoshua Bengio says his struggle is like the one waged by those who for decades warned of climate change without being heard. Le Monde
We need to keep CEOs away from AI regulation: Policymakers must not let complexity stop them from doing their job. Marietje Schaake
Tuesday: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's biggest contract chipmaker, holds its annual shareholders' meeting
Apple’s next big thing is finally here, with the company set to announce its mixed-reality headset at WWDC today.
I love electric vehicles – and was an early adopter. But increasingly, I feel duped: Sadly, keeping your old petrol car may be better than buying an EV. There are sound environmental reasons not to jump just yet. Rowan Atkinson
EV makers confront the ‘nickel pickle’: Large amounts of the mineral are needed for electric car batteries, but getting it out of the ground and refining it often requires clearing rainforests and generating large amounts of carbon. WSJ
China’s auto export wave echoes Japan's in the ’70s: Will electric vehicles change the world as much as railroads and internal-combustion engines did in centuries past? Niall Ferguson
Restaurant chain Cava set to launch IPO: WSJ reports executives aim to sell the shares for between $17 and $19 apiece. The high end of that range would value Cava at around $2.2 billion.
Tuesday: China's first domestically built cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, is set to leave the shipyard in Shanghai that serves as it home port.
AstraZeneca defies geopolitics to bet on China: The drugmaker seeks opportunities due to aging population and burgeoning biotech industry. FT
https://www.ft.com/content/4f9c5b6a-203a-49ed-8be7-2fd41de1fcd7
Elon Musk and Jamie Dimon lead corporate charge to Beijing as ties with US fray: FT reports China courts global business leaders in a push to boost confidence in economic recovery.
Good to see this.
Global commerce is too important to be left to short-term politicians.
NBCUniversal’s Benarroch to join Twitter in operations role: Bloomberg reports Joe Benarroch, executive vice president of communications, global advertising, and partnerships at NBCUniversal, said in a memo to colleagues on Sunday that he was taking on a business operations position at Elon Musk’s Twitter.
At what time is the internet the most awake? 9:00 am Eastern Time. That’s when the largest number of people in the world are likely awake (and on their computers), per designer Bård Edlund.
Interesting: Antarctic ice shelf area from 2009 to 2019 grew by 5,300 sq km, satellite data shows.
Will we remember Succession or Ted Lasso more? What to make of two strikingly different series finales—and worldviews. Sophie Gilbert
LIV Golf faces renewed scrutiny after a foreign agent registration: WSJ reports a public relations firm for the Saudi-backed upstart filed forms to the Justice Department, raising fresh questions over whether LIV and its other vendors should do so to be in compliance with the law.
Why did Gitcho Goodwin file?
Did the DOJ influence this filing?
Did the PGA Tour influence this filing?
+ A lawyer representing Gitcho Goodwin said that, four days after the FARA filing, its relationship with LIV came to an end.
+ The LIV spokesman didn’t comment on whether Gitcho Goodwin was fired for registering.
The registration opens up all types of legal questions.
For one, does any sports team or league with foreign investors need to register?
For example, the Brooklyn Nets are owned by a Taiwanese - Canadian, do PR vendors working for the team need to register?
AFP: Hamilton ready to sign new Mercedes contract
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry.
Caracal is here to help.
Caracal demystifies geopolitics and then helps you talk about geopolitics.
Led by a Michigan-born and DC-based global business advocate with experience in US and UK national political campaigns, US-China commercial relations, NATO, and media engagement, Caracal is a geopolitical business communications firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
Caracal lives and breathes at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics, home of the world's most savvy participants.
Clients are Chief Communications Officers and executive communications professionals who rely on Caracal for help navigating today's interconnected business environment with geopolitical intelligence, strategic planning, economic diplomacy, and communications.
Caracal believes that to be a world-class geopolitical business communicator, you need global street smarts coupled with holistic, high-frequency, and high-low communications.
More @ caracal.global
