Alibaba’s CEO spoke with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday and he says they had “a wonderful discussion” about what Business Insider characterizes as “a regional ‘e-hub’ — a trade zone that would allow for freer online commerce with less border bureaucracy to deal with.” Contrast that with Trump’s phone call with Turnbull this week, which he characterized as the “worst call by far,” and ended by hanging up on the Australian prime minister. The ignorance on the part of the administration was hammered home when the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, repeatedly mispronounced Turnbull’s name as “Trumbull.”Story here.
When Trump met with the Alibaba CEO back in January, Trump was happy to crow that Ma had promised to bring a million jobs to the United States. Critics predict that Ma won’t follow through on the pledge and that like Trump he knows a good P.R. opportunity when he sees it.
If the new president doesn’t want a nightmare situation in which consumer electronics and other imported goods sky rocket in price, he’s going to have to move beyond sound bites and photo ops to dig into the endlessly complicated world of policy. Trade wars also have a way of turning into shooting wars and so far Trump seems fine with that.
So let me get this straight. If the US seeks to reclaim lost manufacturing from China that could lead to war? If we act in the best interests of our nation then prices of imported goods could increase?
Fuck it. Let's go!
War with China is coming anyway. At best all Trump is doing is matching the type of nationalism that any China watcher has seen on their side for decades!
We have to pay more for widgets and trinkets from China?
BIG FUCKING DEAL!
If we were really concerned about human rights and the spread of democracy then we wouldn't be trading with China in the first place. The real dirty secret is how China is messing with their currency to keep a positive trade balance. By rights the Chinese dollar should be equal to if not worth more than the American dollar and certainly more than the Euro, but Chinese authorities make sure that doesn't happen.
All in all I'm pleased by this news. Trump might be a madman but he's our madman and this is the first real sign that the Chinese are nervous.
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