Saturday, April 07, 2018

Trump Is Absolutely Right On China

Just like the Russia collusion story, this one is pretty basic and is being totally missed by the press. Russia had no reason whatsoever to prefer Trump and China holds almost no cards at all.

Chinese Exports to the US

Value: $462B
Chinese GDP: $11.8T
Exports as a percentage of GDP: 4%

US Exports to China

Value: $115B
US GDP: $19.4T
Exports as a percentage of GDP: 0.6%

So trade between the two countries is 7 times as important to China as it is to the US. Trump is negotiating from a position of strength and is doing just what we want a president to do. China has gotten away with the unfair trade practices typical to a fascist / corporatist nation for years against administrations from both parties who were advised by the "best and the brightest." It has also practiced intellectual and electronic theft and piracy on an industrial scale. Additionally, Chinese expansion in Southeast Asia has violated all manner of International law.

That the Chinese hold vast sums of US Treasuries is a weapon I don't think either side will use. We'll see. In the meantime, Trump has a good hand to play. Not that you'd know it from the hysterical, little girls in the press.

China is building military bases on artificial islands. Quite the aggressive bunch, no?

1 comment:

ligneus said...

Reminds me of that old song:

I talk to the trees,
That's why they put me away.