The U.S. delegation headed by President Trump and the Chinese delegation headed by Chairman Xi Jinping attended a much anticipated bilateral dinner at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Argentina. The dinner lasted for two and a half hours:
An important trilateral meeting between President Trump, Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Modi which forms an important economic alliance for President Trump’s Indo-Pacific economic strategy. This larger geopolitical strategy is the counterweight to China’s One-Belt/One-Road (red dragon) maneuver.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hold a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Video and Transcript) PM Abe represents one important leg of the “indo-pacific” economic/trade realignment, being carried out by President Trump.
President Trump took all the ‘dragon slayers’ with him to Argentina likely anticipating a rapid Chinese evolution from Panda to Dragon. Trump’s delegation selection sends exactly that message. If cunning Chairman Xi exhibits wounded sensibilities, well, tough.
China deployed the panda mask for over a year in an effort to wait-out President Trump, fair enough; however, that strategy has a severe downside.
If lack of engagement is part of Beijing’s economic defense mechanism, ie. retaining the status quo, you can expect President Trump to provoke the confrontation.
Does Xi feel rucky?
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China and the United States can reach a trade agreement at the G20 meeting in Argentina this week, the state-run China Daily newspaper said in an editorial on Friday, but Washington must be “fair minded” if it wants to defuse spiraling tensions.
“Beijing wants a deal, just as Washington does. And it is willing to cooperate with Washington in dealing with concerns about trade if they are fair-minded,” the paper said.
The New York Post has an article today, surrounding an interview with President Trump, where the topic of declassifying the evidence behind ‘Spygate’ surfaced.
To say there is a massive schism amid supporters of the President on this issue would be an understatement.
On one hand the declassification would potentially, and finally, outline the scale of the FBI/DOJ politicization and weaponization of intelligence against the President – exposing the entire ‘spygate’ scandal in all its glory. On the other hand that potential is also seen as political leverage against the schemes of DC and all the characters.
Here’s the quotes that matter:
(New York Post) […] “If they go down the presidential harassment track, if they want go and harass the president and the administration, I think that would be the best thing that would happen to me. I’m a counter-puncher and I will hit them so hard they’d never been hit like that.”
“I think that would help my campaign. If they want to play tough, I will do it. They will see how devastating those pages are.”
The issue is basic to the construct of the USMCA (NAFTA replacement).
BMW made a multi-billion-dollar investment in Mexico in anticipation of exploiting the NAFTA loophole. President Trump has closed the loophole. The new USMCA agreement requires 75% of automobile parts made in North America; and 45% must come from plants with minimum labor costs ($16/hr), or face tariffs upon export to the U.S.
As a result BMW is now considering opening those higher-wage component supply operations in the U.S.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – BMW (BMWG.DE) is considering a second U.S. manufacturing plant that could produce engines and transmissions, Chief Executive Harald Krueger said on Tuesday, shortly after a report that U.S. President Donald Trump would impose tariffs on imported cars from next week
[…] BMW is considering changes to U.S. operations as sales in the region grow, Krueger said. BMW has a U.S. vehicle assembly plant, in South Carolina, is planning to open a Mexico factory next year, and is considering changes to its current scheme of importing engines and transmissions.
A small but interesting development in the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico highlights a backstory CTH suspected several months ago {Go Deep}. August 25th:
As USTR Robert Lighthizer was working with the trade officials representing outgoing Mexican President Peña Nieto, White House adviser/emissary Jared Kushner was quietly working behind the scenes with AMLO trade adviser Jesus Seade and outlining the possibilities if they partnered with strategic economic objectives in mind.
As a result of Kusher’s dogged efforts to bring an entirely new dual-nationalist ‘focus’ within the trade construct, removing the historic globalist baseline, the outcome of the trade deal is excellent for both the U.S. and Mexico. So today:
MEXICO – […] Kushner will receive the prize “for his contributions to achieve the negotiation of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),” according to a statement by Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat.
Peña Nieto will present Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, with the award on Thursday at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, according to the Reforma newspaper.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, National Security adviser John Bolton and National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow hold a very important press briefing from the White House.
Chairman Kudlow discusses current economic issues, and the upcoming possible trade discussions with China at the G20 meeting in Buenos Aries, Argentina. At 19:00 minutes NSA John Bolton takes over to discuss the scheduling details of the G20. [Interesting trilateral mentioned: Trump, Modi and Abe] At 30:00 minutes Sarah Sanders takes over.
Canadian media are reporting that General Motors plans to shut down operation in Oshawa, Canada. This is quite possibly an outcome that portends the sign of things to come…
CANADA – Numerous sources have told CTV Toronto that General Motors is planning to close all operations in Oshawa, Ont., affecting thousands of high-paying jobs.
The announcement is expected to be made on Monday, in the city of about 159,000 people located roughly 60 kilometres east of Toronto. Sources said they believe the Oshawa closures are part of a global restructuring. (read more)
GM holds considerable risk exposure within the current state of international trade and economics as it relates to the auto industry. As a result of the ongoing U.S-China trade confrontation, GM holds risk as a result of heavy investment in China. Add to that exposure the very significant financial impacts about to start for heavy manufacturing operations inside countries aligned with the Paris Climate Treaty, and the risk increases.
(more…)
The Washington Times is reporting on a possible agreement between U.S. and Mexico officials to keep all Central American asylum seekers outside the U.S. during the process to evaluate their asylum claims.
The important backdrop here is the new Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), taking office on December 1st. If the reporting is correct, there may be an agreement in the works between President Trump’s administration and AMLO’s team.
Reading between the lines, the mutually beneficial structure of such an agreement is likely based within prior economic (trade) discussions. [CTH sees Jared Kushner’s diplomatic fingerprints at work] Friends with benefits….
(Via Washington Times) Immigrants seeking asylum in the United States by entering through Mexico could be required to wait south of the border while U.S. courts assess their cases, a member of the incoming Mexican government said in an interview published Saturday.
Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s president-elect, plans to implement a policy known as “Remain in Mexico” after taking office next month, his top domestic policy official told The Washington Post.
