Wednesday Briefing: The U.S.’s secret nuclear strategy

View in browser|nytimes.com

August 21, 2024

	By Justin Porter

Good morning. We’re covering Biden’s secret new nuclear strategy and an operation to retrieve the bodies of Israeli hostages.

Plus, China seeks soft power with a video game.

Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times

Biden approved a secret nuclear strategy

President Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear plan that reorients America’s deterrent strategy to focus on the rapid expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon believes China’s stockpiles will rival those of the U.S. and Russia over the next decade.

The revised strategy, called the Nuclear Employment Guidance, also seeks, for the first time, to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from China, Russia and North Korea.

The document, updated every four years or so, is so highly classified that there are no electronic copies, only a small number of hard copies distributed to a select few officials. Two Biden administration officials were allowed to allude to the change in recent speeches, ahead of a more detailed, unclassified notification to Congress expected before Biden leaves office.

The new document is a stark reminder that whoever wins in November will confront a changed and far more volatile nuclear landscape than the one that existed just three years ago.

Context: In the past, the likelihood that adversaries of the U.S. could coordinate to outmaneuver the country’s nuclear arsenal seemed remote. But the emerging partnership between Russia and China and the conventional arms that North Korea and Iran are providing to Russia for the war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed Washington’s thinking.

The hostages were named as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Peri. Hostages Families Forum Headquarters

Israel said it had found the bodies of six hostages

Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages from southern Gaza, the Israeli military said yesterday. Five of them were already known to be dead. The exact circumstances of their deaths were not immediately clear.

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said that the bodies had been retrieved from Hamas tunnels beneath the city of Khan Younis in a “complex operation.” The recovery highlighted the plight of the more than 100 captives that still remain in the Palestinian enclave, at least 30 of whom are believed to be dead.

Of the roughly 250 people the Israeli authorities say were taken hostage during the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack, Israeli forces have so far rescued only seven hostages alive. Scores of others, mostly women and children, were returned to Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November.

Updates: Two Israeli strikes yesterday, one on a school building in Gaza City, killed at least 19 people yesterday, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.

Tesla produces its Model 3 in Shanghai for sale to Europe. Aly Song/Reuters

The E.U. proposed a steep tariff hike on Chinese E.V.s

The E.U. yesterday proposed charging Tesla an additional tariff of 9 percent on its vehicles imported from China. Other automakers, which the bloc judged to benefit more from Chinese state subsidies, face rates as high as 36.3 percent. This will be on top of the 10 percent charged for E.V.s produced there.

The E.U. began investigating Chinese automakers in October. Companies that cooperated with the investigation, including the German automakers BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen, face tariffs of 21.3 percent for cars they produce in China.

The updated tariffs are meant to level the playing field with Chinese E.V. manufacturers. Negotiations are ongoing, and China could propose measures to avoid the tariffs, such as reducing state subsidies, though this move is unlikely.

India: As countries try to reduce their dependence on China, the world’s most populous country wants to take advantage, but its ports are too shallow for the largest container ships. A $9 billion project will take ships that hold up to 24,000 containers.

🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024

The presidential election is less than 80 days away. This is what we’re watching.

President Barack Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Here’s what on day two of the Democratic National Convention:

Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we’ll find the answers.

Stay up to date: Live coverage | Poll tracker | The “Run-Up” podcast | On Politics newsletter

Emergency services near the Sicilian capital of Palermo. Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

Sports

Jannik Sinner of Italy. Susan Mullane/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters

Karina Yatsina used to be a nanny. Finbarr O’Reilly for The New York Times

In Ukraine, Russia’s invasion is reshaping the labor market, as jobs long dominated by men have been left vacant by soldiers sent off to war. Women have become truck and bus drivers, miners and welders, entering positions they had been excluded from. Thousands have also voluntarily joined the army.

Lives lived: Maria Branyas Morera, an American-born Spanish woman believed to be the oldest person in the world, has died at 117.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times.

Trying out Black Myth: Wukong in Shanghai yesterday. Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Controlling the (video game) narrative

Black Myth: Wukong is one of the most highly anticipated Chinese video games ever, with a blockbuster-worthy budget that underscores Beijing’s push to become a global cultural power

But ahead of the game’s release yesterday, influencers who might play it while livestreaming were sent a list of forbidden topics. They were told not to mention politics, “feminist propaganda,” Covid-19 and China’s video game industry policies.

“I have never seen anything that shameful in my 15 years doing this job,” said Benoit Reinier, a prominent video game streamer and journalist, in a YouTube video. “This is very clearly a document which explains that we must censor ourselves.”

Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof.

Bake: This big, bold Bundt cake goes heavy on the lemon for an extra-puckery bite.

Listen: In our series of conversations with authors, Jennifer Egan looks back at “A Visit From the Goon Squad.”

Clean: Here’s how to wash an antique rug.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Justin

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app

Connect with us on:

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018