Monday, December 2, 2019

Trump to China: Eat It

Via Ace, an interesting article from foreign affairs analyst  George Friedman* arguing that the Chinese are in deep trouble and Trump has out-maneuvered President Xi. China is facing existential threats from the Uighers and Hong Kong and worries that the contagion could spread to other eastern cities.

We're always wary of these foreign policy grandees, (anyone else remember the Kremlinologists?) and Friedman first entered our consciousness 30 years ago when we read his book, The Coming War with Japan. Still, he makes excellent points.

Trump is winning the trade war and we love how he signed the Hong Kong bill. State Department flunkies certainly warned him against it, worried that doing so would scupper the trade talks. But Trump being Trump he did it anyway. Why? He's negotiating from a position of strength. He can publicly humiliate Xi and still get what he wants.

That's based.

*Not Tom and no relation.

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