Global Eyes

Everything you need to know about the world to begin the week.

Two US Navy carrier strike groups jointly conducted exercises in the Mediterranean over the weekend. The USS Eisenhower and the USS Ford—pictured operating together for the first time—trained on high-value unit defense, ballistic missile defense, replenishments-at-sea, and maritime security operations. They were joined by the Sixth Fleet’s command and control ship, the USS Mount Whitney, and two frigates from the Italian Navy. More than 11,000 US personnel participated in the three-day exercises. Photo: US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group transits the Suez Canal. The strike group includes the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the guided-missile destroyers USS Mason and USS Gravely, Carrier Air Wing 3 with its nine squadrons, and the Information Warfare Commander. Photo: US CENTCOM.

I realized this morning that it’s been a long time since I’ve sent out a full, round-the-world edition of Global Eyes. The Middle East has been monopolizing my attention, as it has everyone’s, I’m sure. But that hardly means the rest of the world has fallen off the map, so let’s look today at what’s happening everywhere else, too.

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ASIA

Can Biden-Xi meeting ease tensions?

On Friday, Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair accused Chinese warplanes of buzzing a Canadian helicopter over international waters in the South China Sea and firing flares at it, endangering the crew. On Saturday, China’s Defense Ministry hit back that the helicopter had “unknown intent” and engaged in a “malicious” and “provocative” act with “ulterior motives.” These salvos come the same week that China accused a Philippine military vessel of sailing too close to Scarborough Shoal, territory that China seized in 2012, but which falls within the Philippine’s Exclusive Economic Zone according to international maritime law. And late last month, Manila accused a Chinese coast guard ship of ramming two Philippine ships near Second Thomas, or Ayungin, Shoal, which also lies within its EEZ. This backdrop sets the tone not only for Biden and Xi’s meeting, but for Taiwan’s presidential elections, scheduled for January 2024.

The US is quietly arming Taiwan to the teeth: