Monday: U.S.-China trade talks begin

U.S. Shutdown, Xinjiang, Syria View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Monday, January 7, 2019 [NYTimes.com »]( ADVERTISEMENT Asia Edition [Your Monday Briefing]( By ALISHA HARIDASANI GUPTA Good morning. U.S. and China officials kick off trade negotiations in Beijing, Chinese authorities target Uighur intellectuals and the Golden Globes are about to get underway. Here’s the latest: [Ted McKinney, the United States undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, in Beijing on Sunday.]Ted McKinney, the United States undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, in Beijing on Sunday. Ng Han Guan/Associated Press U.S.-China trade talks begin Midlevel U.S. trade officials are starting [two days of negotiations]( with their counterparts in Beijing today. The talks could pave the way to meetings in Washington in a few weeks between a delegation of senior Chinese officials; Robert Lighthizer, Mr. Trump’s top trade negotiator; and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary. China, which appears hobbled by the trade war, has offered a mix of concessions. The U.S. might be losing its leverage, as companies cut revenue forecasts and with future interest rate hikes on the horizon that could weaken the economy. Timing: Both sides are trying to defuse trade tensions ahead of a March 2 deadline, when U.S. tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods will increase to 25 percent from 10 percent. ______ [Rahile Dawut, above with camera, is an anthropologist at Xinjiang University who has been detained in the vast crackdown on Uighurs in far western China.]Rahile Dawut, above with camera, is an anthropologist at Xinjiang University who has been detained in the vast crackdown on Uighurs in far western China. Lisa Ross China’s latest targets: Uighur intellectuals For years, educated Uighurs functioned as a bridge between the minority Muslim and Turkic communities of far western China and the wealthier Han Chinese, working with them to better the lot of the minority group and preserve Uighur culture. But more than 100 Uighur scholars, including university professors, computer programmers, poets and writers, have been [swept up in the Chinese government’s crackdown]( in Xinjiang, which has ensnared almost a million people in indoctrination camps. Why it matters: The detention of the most accomplished Uighurs underscores the Communist Party’s attempt to erase the community’s unique identity — and also removes a force that worked to integrate Uighur society into modern China. ______ [President Tsai Ing-wen speaking to foreign reporters on Saturday. ]President Tsai Ing-wen speaking to foreign reporters on Saturday. Sam Yeh/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Taiwanese leader calls unification ‘impossible’ President Tsai Ing-wen called on domestic and international support for the island’s independence, a rebuke to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, who days earlier said unification with China was inevitable. Why it matters: [The unusually firm comments]( helped Ms. Tsai position herself as a defender of democracy and inspired a groundswell of support ahead of next year’s elections. It also may reinforce support from the U.S. Context: The U.S. broke ties with Taiwan in 1979, when it had been under martial law for decades, to establish full relations with Beijing. Since Taiwan embraced democracy in the 1990s, many in Washington have seen it as a like-minded partner and a bulwark against China’s influence. ______ [President Trump spoke to reporters as he headed to Camp David on Sunday for talks with senior staff on the government shutdown. ]President Trump spoke to reporters as he headed to Camp David on Sunday for talks with senior staff on the government shutdown. Sarah Silbiger/The New York Times U.S. government shutdown enters third week Negotiations over the weekend appeared to offer [little hope of an immediate agreement]( between Democrats and President Trump over his demands for a border wall. Democratic leaders have repeatedly said they will not agree to any funding for the wall, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi called an “immorality.” And the White House is also digging in, insisting on $5.7 billion in wall funding, even as some Republicans have started calling for an end to the shutdown. Analysis: The idea of the border wall, which Mr. Trump’s advisers said they initially created to remind Mr. Trump to talk tough on immigration during his campaign, has [boxed in the president](. He’s now struggling to find a way to please both his core supporters and conservative skeptics who see the wall as ineffective. In Opinion: Our columnist [David Leonhardt builds a detailed argument]( that Mr. Trump is demonstrably unfit for office and “must go,” but that a rushed impeachment could actually help him remain in office. ______ Here’s what else is happening Week ahead: The British Parliament will [resume debating Brexit terms]( and the U.S. Fed may release some clues on whether it will continue to raise interest rates. Syria: Two Americans were [caught fighting for ISIS]( according to the Syrian Democratic Forces. The arrests came on the same day President Trump’s [national security adviser, John Bolton]( said a retreat from Syria was conditional on the defeat of the terrorist group, reversing Mr. Trump’s surprise announcement last month of withdrawing thousands of American troops from the country. $3 million: That’s the record-breaking price a restaurant owner who calls himself the King of Tuna paid for [an endangered 612-pound bluefin tuna]( at an auction in Tokyo’s new fish market. Pakistan: For centuries, dancers in Lahore were famed and respected, employed by the courts to perform for royal audiences. But the rise of religious conservatism in recent decades has pushed the art form, called nautch, [underground]( forcing some dancers to turn to prostitution. Malaysia: Sultan Muhammad V, two years into a five-year term, became the country’s [first monarch to abdicate]( after reportedly marrying a 25-year-old former Russian beauty queen while on medical leave from his largely ceremonial position. Populism: The global movement [appears to be entering a new phase](. The migration and terrorism crises that fueled its rise have eased, leaving populist leaders a stripped-down message of opposition to pluralism, multiculturalism and international cooperation. Hungary: Protesters took to the streets again this weekend, marching against [the country’s new so-called slave law]( which compels workers to put in overtime without full or immediate compensation. Yellow Vests: Protests in France, the first of the year, [turned violent]( as a government ministry building was attacked and skirmishes broke out between demonstrators and the police. Schism: The spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians worldwide [recognized the independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine]( in a four-hour ceremony in Istanbul, formalizing a split with the Russian church to which it had been tied for more than four centuries. [Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are both contenders for “A Star Is Born.”]Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are both contenders for “A Star Is Born.” Neal Preston/Warner Bros. Golden Globes: Here’s a look at the [movies that might take home the top prizes]( at this year’s award ceremony, which kicks off imminently. Want to tidy up? Here’s some inspiration — researchers have found that a cluttered home leads to [increased stress and procrastination](. World’s fastest (for her age): A [92-year-old woman in Australia]( has broken several world records for racewalking since she started her athletic career about seven years ago. And she has no plans to slow down. ______ Smarter Living Tips for a more fulfilling life. Tara Donne for The New York Times Recipe of the day: Make a hearty [stew of lentils, roasted eggplant and orzo](. Ladies, we have a few thoughts on [pubic waxing](. What to do if you fear you’re [about to be fired](. Back Story The annual International Consumer Electronics Show, the showcase for the world’s biggest consumer electronics companies, [begins this week in Las Vegas](. We asked Brian X. Chen, our lead consumer technology writer, how he manages to report on this vast trade show. The first CES I covered was [for Wired in 2009]( so this will be my 10th consecutive year. Here’s how I stay sane while reporting on one of the most sprawling and, frankly, stressful trade shows in the world. [The Las Vegas Convention Center, where the CES International trade show takes place.]The Las Vegas Convention Center, where the CES International trade show takes place. John Locher/Associated Press To help me focus on the most newsworthy topics, I do pre-briefings, where companies tell me what they are going to unveil — so long as I pledge not to reveal anything early. For weeks, my inbox has exploded with requests for meetings, often with obscure start-ups. (In the eight hours before I wrote this, I received 85.) Sometimes I agree, but usually these pitches aren’t the right fit. The show covers about 2.7 million square feet, so I wear comfortable, sturdy boots. I carry my laptop, a bulky battery pack for my phone, trail mix, business cards and, most important, hand sanitizer. (Despite this precaution, I’ve returned with what we veterans call the CES plague about six times.) That reminds me: I should stop by the pharmacy for more hand sanitizer. ______ This briefing was prepared for the Asian morning. You can also [sign up]( to get the briefing in the Australian, European or American morning. 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