ITK Daily | December 11

Happy Sunday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:

SCMP: Apple supplier Foxconn to invest US$500 million in India in supply chain diversification from China

+ The capital injection comes after production at Foxconn’s plant in central China was severely hampered by a workers’ exodus and violent protests

+ The Taiwanese company last week announced new investments in its plants in the Czech Republic and northern China

Justin Trudeau, China, and the death of free trade: Why Canada has been obliged to reverse course on 'Justin Trudeau's dream of integrating the Canadian and Chinese economies.' John Ivison

Combat aircraft: Developing an Anglo-Italian-Japanese rival to the FCAS: Le Monde reports the UK, Italy, and Japan announced the development and production of an air system to respond to new Russian and Chinese threats, shortly after the relaunch of the Future Combat Air System developed by France, Germany, and Spain.

+ Rishi Sunak says defense deal for Tempest means ‘outpacing those who seek to do us harm’

Japanese tech leaders warn Beijing will ride out US chip sanctions: Sony and NEC Corporation executives say progress may be slowed, but China will remain a force in AI and other areas. FT

Approaching COVID wave tests China’s embrace of herbal remedies: Loosening of zero-tolerance pandemic controls revives debate over government’s promotion of traditional Chinese medicine. WSJ

+ @NikkeiDC_Ryo: Top US State Department official for East Asia Kritenbrink and NSC senior director for China Rosenberger will visit China, South Korea and Japan from 11-14, State Department says. They will lay the groundwork for Secretary of State Blinken’s travel to China early next year.

+ @NikkeiDC_Ryo: The US senior officials are planning to visit Japan as Prime Minister Kishida intends to visit Washington in January. They are likely to discuss the upcoming Japan’s new national security strategy.

SCMP: South Koreans set to get younger as traditional age system is phased out

+ Nation’s use of three different counting systems has led to confusion and rows over age-related policies, including those related to Covid-19 vaccinations and testing

+ Scrapping centuries-old traditional system in favor of the international standard was one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s election campaigns

North Korea wants dollars. It’s a sign of trouble. NYT

2022 Nobel Peace Prize: 'This is not a war between two states, it's a war between authoritarianism and democracy': One of the three winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, was founded in 2007 in Kyiv with the aim of advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine. Its chairperson accepted the award in Oslo on Saturday. Le Monde

The Air Force wants to send its Reaper drones to Ukraine. The Pentagon’s not so sure. Politico reports internal wrangling has stalled a plan to transfer older weaponry that the service has wanted to ditch.

Spat over Patriot missiles reveals deepening rifts in Europe over Ukraine: NYT reports relations between Warsaw and Berlin, never warm, have deteriorated since the start of the Ukraine war, damaging unity in both NATO and the European Union.

Ukranian First Lady Olena Zelenska to visit Paris to promote her country's 'resilience': Le Monde reports she will be accompanied by a government delegation for her first visit to France since the Russian invasion, with the goal of raising funds for her foundation.

Putin’s new strategy to win the propaganda war over Ukraine invasion The Times

A chatty Putin’s underlying message: I’m still in charge: In a string of appearances, it wasn’t so much what the Russian leader said, much of it false, as it was his apparent need to demonstrate that he is healthy, alert, and in control. NYT

+ “You can’t trust anyone. “You can only trust me.”

Bloomberg: Modi to skip annual Putin summit over Ukraine nuke threats

+ Russia-India have held 21 summits in the last two decades

+ Modi is seeking to balance ties with Russia and the US

Turkey is strengthening its energy ties with Russia: As Moscow seeks new customers for oil, gas, and coal, Ankara is a willing buyer as it promotes plans as a regional trading hub. NYT

Why anarchy and terror are never far from the surface in Germany’s model democracy: The far-right Reichsbürger conspiracy to attack the parliament has exposed the bizarre extremism that lurks beneath Germany’s well-ordered society. The Times

The far-right plot to overthrow Germany: The arrests of two dozen suspected conspirators this week exposes the radical movement’s breadth, and the threat it poses. FT

Reuters: Germany could become Europe's big semiconductor producer - Scholz

France, Spain leaders to hold summit on Jan 19: Reuters reports French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will meet again in Spain on Jan. 19, Macron said in a tweet on Friday following a summit of nine Mediterranean countries in the Spanish city of Alicante.

France, Spain, Portugal to build hydrogen pipeline by 2030: AP reports Spain, France and Portugal agreed Friday to build by 2030 a major undersea pipeline to transport hydrogen from the Iberian Peninsula to France and eventually the rest of Europe.

The future of US-Africa trade is in the balance Semafor

+ The future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) will be one of the key talking points with African governments when they meet US government officials at the White House’s US-Africa Leaders Summit next week with the 49 heads of state and other leaders.

+ @RobbieGramer: At of US-Africa Leaders Summit next week, Biden plans to announce a proposal to have the African Union joining the G20 as a permanent member

Cyril Ramaphosa: The South African president clinging to power: A descent into the legal scandal is not the arc envisaged for a leader who won early glory battling apartheid. FT

Peru Reports: Mexico postpones Pacific Alliance summit due to “events” in Peru

+ The Pacific Alliance summit has already been canceled twice due to the political situation in Peru.

More than a new government, Peru needs one that can last Mac Margolis

Bloomberg: On eve of Lula’s certification, Bolsonaro says Army is last barrier to socialism

+ He had been quiet as supporters demand military intervention

+ Remarks made three days before the electoral court certifies Lula

‘Cuba is depopulating’: Largest exodus yet threatens country’s future: The pandemic and tougher US sanctions have decimated Cuba’s economy, prompting the biggest migration since Fidel Castro rose to power. NYT

American hubris: The US is addicted to greatness – and haunted by its loss. Adam Tooze

How the global spyware industry spiraled out of control: The market for commercial spyware — which allows governments to invade mobile phones and vacuum up data — is booming. Even the US government is using it. NYT

California long ruled US shipping. Importers are drifting East. Companies that depended on the West Coast as a point of entry for their goods are turning to other parts of the country as global trade gets upended. WSJ

Sununu on Trump: ‘He’s not scaring anyone out of the race’: In a wide-ranging interview, Chris Sununu, the New Hampshire governor, called the Republican presidential primary a tossup. As for Trump? “He’s not clearing the field.” NYT

Sinema adds intrigue and Democratic fury to Arizona’s 2024 Senate race: Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s announcement that she would become an independent left Democrats in her state, many of whom have long wanted to defeat her in a primary, facing a new political calculus. NYT

The new Republican point man on China wants to ban TikTok and back Taiwan Semafor

McCarthy names a strong leader for vital new House committee on China Hugh Hewitt

Lina Khan, aiming to block Microsoft’s Activision deal, faces a challenge: Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, has staked an ambitious trustbusting agenda on a case that may be difficult to win. NYT

Microsoft faces ‘landmark battle’ to save Activision Blizzard deal: Tech giant’s efforts to appease regulators runs into a more activist antitrust regime on both sides of the Atlantic. FT

Liz still thinks Trussonomics was right and she’s selling her message in America The Times

She came out of nowhere, and now no one in France can ignore her: Sandrine Rousseau is using her talent for grabbing headlines with provocative ideas to shift the focus of the national debate from the themes favored by the far-right to climate change and #MeToo. NYT

France's far-right Rassemblement National looks to redefine environmental policy: The party's only specialist on environmental matters was recently convicted of domestic abuse. His supposed replacements are loyal to his 'localist' approach, far from the reality of climate change. Le Monde

AlphaCode and “data-driven” programming: Is ignoring everything that is known about code the best way to write programs? Science

The new chatbots could change the world. Can you trust them? Siri, Google Search, online marketing, and your child’s homework will never be the same. Then there’s the misinformation problem. NYT

ChatGPT is fluent, clever, and dangerously creative: The natural language AI chatbot can write poetry and draft legal letters, but is not trustworthy. John Gapper

How to save your job from ChatGPT: Knowledge workers should find ways to work with the next wave of AI-powered chatbots. Trung Phan

In a future filled with electric cars, AM radio may be left behind: NYT reports an increasing number of electric models have dropped AM radio in what broadcasters call a worrisome shift that could spell trouble for the stations and deprive drivers of a crucial source of news in emergencies.

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. looks to the past with an EV future: WSJ reports luxury car makers are looking for ways to build a bridge between the old world of traditional automotive luxury and the new electric future.

How the parking garage conquered the city: When automobiles flooded urban America, builders, planners and designers faced a daunting challenge: where to put them.  CityLab

This robot is on a mission to eliminate short car trips: The Gita “follow” robot aims to replace driving for Americans’ quickest daily errands. But progress has been slow. Green

Binance aims to calm investors, but finances are murky: WSJ reports the crypto exchange has begun releasing data to shore up investor confidence following the collapse of FTX .

Notable books of 2022 Behavioral Scientist

Life is hard. And that’s good: When the going gets tough, the tough get philosophical. Brian Gallagher

The rise and fall of respectability: As traditional standards of speech and conduct disappear from public life, the need for them has never been clearer. Adam Kirsch

What do LA’s super-rich car owners do for a living? A viral TikToker’s quest to find that answer. LAT

Comedian Jerrod Carmichael to host Golden Globes as awards rebuild from controversy: WSJ reports the ceremony will resume its live broadcast this year, after allegations of ethical violations within the organization that runs it led to the cancellation of last year’s show.

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, the production company behind films like The Big Short, agreed to sell a “significant” stake to Mediawan SA, the French media conglomerate behind the hit series Call My Agent.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” 2022's biggest box-office hit, has been named the best film of the year by the National Board of Review.

Clairefontaine: The dream factory that changed French football forever These Football Times

How Kylian Mbappé was schooled for stardom at France’s footballing factory: The national academy in Clairefontaine played a crucial role in the emergence of one young player who was destined for greatness. The Times

+ "The national academy in Clairefontaine played a crucial role in the emergence of one young player who was destined for greatness."

Morocco blur borders and win Arab hearts with World Cup campaign: Mission to woo talents from the north African country’s large European diaspora has paid off. FT

VCs seek to buy Phoenix Suns with potential financing from Peter Thiel and others: WSJ reports two venture capitalists have submitted a bid to buy the Phoenix Suns and Mercury for $3 billion, an offer that could include financing from tech mogul Peter Thiel.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

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