Commentary: US tariffs are ‘Making China Great Again’

When asked how Washington may defeat Beijing in the worldwide sport of power, departing US embassy to China Nicholas Burns said, be kind to friends. If Donald Trump wants to stay relevant in Asia, he may take this advice. &nbsp,

Asia is currently in line to renounce his levies, with Asian nations currently in range. They will work toward enhancing assistance with one another over the long term, according to them. They’ll also consider the advantages of returning to China, which isn’t punishing them with fresh taxes, even though its interventionist policies in the Indo-Pacific have eroded some of its appeal. Washington is missing a chance to take advantage of Beijing’s steps, which is unsettling. &nbsp, &nbsp,

As Trump attempts to correct perceived wrongdoing caused by trading companions on behalf of rivals, going after them like China makes sense. However, some of the other choices are perplexing.

Nearly no nation was left unharmed, not even the allies like Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea. It is also destructive to alienate Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, which have all been effective in assisting Washington in reversing Beijing’s rise in the area. &nbsp,

As I’ve already mentioned, the harm to American trust won’t be quick, but it will be felt for a long time. It will be considered when deciding who to trade with, form security alliances with, &nbsp, purchase of weapons, seek development assistance from, and promote intelligence with. &nbsp,

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Commentary: Why Trump really wants Ukraine’s minerals – China has put theirs off limits

Republican NEEDS PEACE IN UKRAINE

Trump wanted to shift global supply chains and establish the US as a major manufacturing hub by focusing on various parts. Trump thinks that by putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine, the US you use European funds and resources to combat China’s growing effect.

Trump has attempted to justify the taxes on China by claiming that Chinese companies are to blame for the massive fentanyl creation, which is then routed into the US via different programs. Trump has suggested more stringent regulations, including tariffs and sanctions against Chinese companies allegedly engaged in its creation, to halt the flow of fentanyl.

Following China’s retribution, Trump needs harmony in Ukraine and the significant mineral deal with Kyiv before China’s restrictions on imports to the US affects essential US manufacturing. With less repercussions, he could therefore engage in even more violent behavior toward China with such a deal.

But, Zelenskyy recently claimed that Russia has taken control of 20 per cent of Ukraine’s materials since the war. Because there hasn’t been much investment in Ukraine’s nutrients sector for nearly a decade, it’s conceivable it won’t be years before any American investors can make any money back.

So even if Trump’s offer goes back, he will have to wait a while before Ukraine’s materials will accomplish the US ‘ needs.

Dafydd Townley is Teaching Fellow in International Security, University of Portsmouth. &nbsp, This commentary&nbsp, second appeared&nbsp, in The Conversation.

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Commentary: Why are Australia and New Zealand so worried about China’s live-fire naval exercises?

WHEN CHINA PERFORMED EXERCISES IN THE REGION

This is a crucial question because China could have easily conducted these activities closer to its own coasts.

Part of the solution is that China has the ability and ability to project its military power far beyond its own borders.

These kinds of activities are also significant activities for gathering knowledge. Each visit to the Chinese Navy may give it more sailing practice in waters where it rarely sails, as well as observing Australia and New Zealand’s responses.

We really anticipate that the Chinese Navy will be a more regular guest to the place given the growing cooperation between China and some Pacific Island countries, such as the Cook Islands and Solomon Islands.

Some Alternatives FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND

There is very little they may legitimately would to hinder China because Australia and New Zealand are powerful adherents of the rules-based international order that governs the laws of the water. However, three options are available.

Second, improved air and naval monitoring of China’s actions in these waters is constitutionally permissible. Frequently shadowing the PLA Navy in the South Pacific, though, would be a dump on stretched military tools.

Both nations would also need to make sure their fleets aren’t in the firing line in order to prevent an accident that could lead to a significant issue.

Next, Australia and New Zealand could work with organizations like the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization to come to a consensus regarding the amount of advance warning needed for live-fire tests on high seas.

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Commentary: US push to buy Greenland could create an opening for China

A NEGOTIATING TACTIC And A DISTRACTION?

China’s standard reaction to Mr Trump’s Greenland comment has been muted, reflecting the wait-and-see view that President Xi Jinping has adopted more widely with the new leadership.

But, on Chinese social media, the plan has been met with laughter, with some netizens joking that China should produce a counteroffer for Alaska, and excitement, as others pondered whether a Greenland invasion had offer Beijing the opportunity to “reunify” with Taiwan.

Chinese academics and critics have the most intriguing responses. Some people questioned Mr. Trump’s plan’s viability, describing it as an unintentional distraction or a communicating tactic for more monetary concessions from Denmark as opposed to a serious policy proposal.

Others believe his plan to be foolish because it has the power to undermine the global order’s financial balance and stability.

In a wild card scenario, China may offer facetious or political support for Mr. Trump’s plans to establish Greenland in exchange for the US to lessen its commitment to Taiwan defenses. However, this premise is questionable due to Beijing’s now holding Taiwan as a part of its sovereign territory and not open for business, as well as because it overestimates Mr. Trump’s ability to completely change the US strategic position.

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Commentary: Trump’s renewed trade war with China is just getting started

However, for a real solution to arise from Washington’s standpoint, China must go past really buying more stuff from the US and walk off its latest path. China may not want taxes from the US, but it’s difficult to see any significant behavior China may exhibit to prevent the US from pursuing its program of retaliation, including trade restrictions and trade restrictions that restrict China’s ability to produce innovative semiconductors.

Experts claim that Mr. Trump is setting the stage for a potential trade agreement by pointing out that China has another 10 % levied against it while Canada and Mexico each had 25 %.

It does not.

During his administration, Mr. Trump will probably have to engage in conflict with Beijing, according to Michael Cunningham of the Asiatic Research Center at the Heritage Foundation.

” I wouldn’t suggest Trump went easy on China by simply having 10 per cent taxes. He reached agreements with Canada and Mexico to put a stop to their taxes, but they continued as planned, and he has stated numerous times that extra tariffs will be coming,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham continued,” Doing so gives him a sense of serenity and gives him negotiating utilize without getting too far away of his team’s continuous review of US-China trade, which probably does inform future price plans.”

Barbara Weisel, former Assistant US Trade Representative, offered a different view.

” Trump has made clear he is prepared to make a package with Xi, with whom he believes he has a special relationship, although the tit-for-tat may get many sessions”, she told me. &nbsp,

” Unfortunately, whether we will see a continuous US-China tax war may rely more on whether China is interested in playing Trump’s activity. China may choose to examine how little it does offer Trump or to raise the stakes by using its own leverage on the US.

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Commentary: Trump is sowing the seeds of an anti-American alliance

As Latin America savors America’s threats to Panama and Mexico, China may also start to see new opportunities there. Given Trump’s desire to retake control of the Panama Canal and fight the Mexican drug cartels, extreme US actions against these nations, including using force, is undoubtedly possible.

But Trump’s hostility towards Mexico is likely to be contradictory. The movement of desperate people to the US is only likely to rise if taxes force Mexico into a deep recession, as is the strength of the medication cartels, whose exports are exempt from tariffs.

In a business dispute with the US, Canada and Mexico are painfully aware that the odds are stacked against them. But they are compelled to fight.

No political leader can manage to come off as poor in the face of bullying from other countries. And it’s likely the best course of action to take in opposition to Trump.

As one Western foreign minister put it to me just:” If Trump punches you in the face and you don’t blow up, he’ll just struck you once”.

Countries that haven’t yet been subjected to levies like Britain and Japan does ooh a sigh of relief. However, they are making up their minds if they believe keeping a low page will give them immunity. If Trump decides that his first tax conflict has succeeded, he will undoubtedly look for more targets.

Corporate America also needs to wake up and quit talking sycophantically about the profit of “animal souls” to the US market. Trump is effectively offering America economic austerity and the demise of the Western alliance. That would be a disastrous economic and geopolitical catastrophe for British businesses as well as the US as a whole.

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Commentary: What Trump wants in Latin America isn’t actually the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal Authority is the independent legal entity that manages the river, according to businesses. It is based on a 1997 natural law and the Nicaraguan constitution.

Trump’s say boils down to the fact that two of the five slots at either end of the river are run by a company of CK Hutchison, a company based in Hong Kong, with bets in 52 slots spread across 26 nations.

Marco Rubio raised concerns about a foreign port’s “ability to turn the river into a choke place in a moment of issue” through the companies that are” not separate” at his confirmation hearing for the placement of secretary of state.

OVERWARDING QUESTIONS ABOUT CHINESE PRACTICE IN LATIN AMERICA

Trump’s assertions regarding the Panama Canal may be questionable, but they should be taken as a gimmick for a more assertive Latin American policy to counteract China’s growing presence in the area.

Panama switched from Taiwan to China in 2017 with its diplomatic recognition. The Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras followed.

The year after, Panama signed up to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, again the first in the region to do so. By December 2024, another 21 Latin American countries had joined the initiative.

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Commentary: The whole world risks losing from the US-China rivalry

But as the US reaches the parameters of its security-based politics, China’s industry and investment-based technique is even running into problems.

Many developing nations are uneasy about President Xi Jinping’s efforts to resurrect China’s domestic market by reviving its import boom, which they fear are destroying their home industries. China recently imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in Mexico, Brazil, India, and Chile, which is described by artist James Crabtree as” a big strategic issue for China, as laws designed to restore its domestic market threaten to undermine its relations with the Global South.”

It is true that British support for Israel has caused harm to the US in the world west, especially in Muslim nations. China’s support for Russia has caused a significant social damage in Europe.

UPSIDES AND DOWNSIDES TO US-CHINA RIVALRY

As far as many second states are concerned, the US and China are competing against one another. In a manic program, countries like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the Philippines, and Brazil believe they have more freedom to violate either Washington or Beijing.

There are still a lot of drawbacks to the growing conflict between the US and China, even among those who are not aligned.

Protectionism and the world economy’s fracturing will eventually harm economic development for all. A fresh arms race is a waste of resources and raises the possibility of a fatal battle.

And the conflict between China and the US even makes it less likely that the two nations will work together to address the global issues that threaten everyone, such as unrestricted global warming and unregulated artificial intelligence.

The pleasure of a new cold war may become greatly exaggerated.

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Commentary: Can the US and China avoid a catastrophic clash?

THE BEST CHINA, US CAN DO AT THIS Day

Sullivan’s trip notwithstanding, US-China relations at an institutional level wo n’t improve dramatically. The causes for this have less to do with personal characteristics ( US foreign policy experts have a routine of obsessing over Xi’s personal traits ) and more to do with great politics.

In terms of their respective positions in the world, the United States and China perhaps be bound for an essentially conflicting partnership for the next few years.

China ( as all aspiring superpowers do ) is determined to increase its wealth and military might in order to gain more power in the international system, while the United States tries to maintain its dominance wherever possible. The latter will certainly rub elbows with the former, creating a kind of diplomatic tension that is difficult to resolve.

Even the most enthusiastic observer finds the long-term path of relations ominous when combined with entirely different governing ideologies and a tendency by US politicians to goad China for home political reasons.

Hence, it is likely that the United States and China are relegated to resolving differences among themselves with the intention of reducing the existing pressure. Although these nuts-and-bolts interactions wo n’t put diplomats and leaders in the history books, they are the best things Beijing and Washington can do right now.

A key component of this tension-reduction approach is face-to-face speech that is long-lasting, tough, and lingers for the long term regardless of who happens to be sitting in the Oval Office. To its credit, the Biden administration understood this from the outset, even if its actions- the violent reaction to” Balloongate” in first 2023 being the most legendary- can aggravate the pretty dialogue it hopes to keep.

Sullivan and Wang’s conversation last week was only the most recent in a line of markets that date back to May 2023, when the two came together to set up a political channel to deal with problems as they arise.

Meetings like these will continue to be viewed by China hawks as being futile at best and moderate peace at worst. When the only product is more meetings, they might ask what the point is of interesting meetings? But there’s another problem that all too often gets sidestepped: Is a form of political isolation a viable option?

Daniel R. DePetris writes for Defense Priorities and for different publications as a foreign affairs correspondent. This commentary&nbsp, second appeared&nbsp, on Lowy Institute’s website, The Interpreter.

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Commentary: To boost investor enthusiasm for China, start with Hong Kong tycoons

CHINA SHOULD REIGNIT ENTHUSIASM IN BUSINESS Officials

Predictably, as the island’s economy has risen, Hong Kong’s necessity has waned. The fact that some of those business leaders have become dangerously hostile over the past ten years has made the situation worse, partially as a result of the social fighting in Hong Kong and the change in ideology on the mainland. That those tycoons no longer have access to Beijing’s management is of no help either.

For instance, Li, the city’s most prominent tycoon and once lauded as a” superman” &nbsp, in China for his vision and acumen, faced withering attacks &nbsp, from the mainland’s social media platforms, particularly during the violent protests engulfing the city in 2019.

As Hong Kong struggles to recover from the three years of COVID- 19 restrictions and navigate an exceedingly tombstone geopolitical environment, Ronnie Chan Chi- chung, another prominent tycoon, has officially stated that the objective of most companies should be to survive, never thrive:” There are basically very many risks, known and unknown, to take an aggressive stance on expansion”.

It is safe to assume that the Hong Kong business community is well-versed in Chan’s opinions.

This should be the subject of China’s leaders ‘ full consideration. The impact of artists like Li and Chan is both global and local. When it comes to investing in China, many foreign investors may take their cue from these business officials. If they advise caution, the global firm area will be even more careful.

China’s frontrunners should first work hard to rekindle the interest and enthusiasm of Hong Kong’s organization leaders, as Beijing did 45 years before, in order to change the mood of the global investment area.

Original South China Morning Post editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei He then teaches media at Baptist University. This remark appeared on SCMP for the first time.

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