Trade Wars

Under the cover of “security threats” and promoting “democracy,” Washington has increased the frequency and amplitude of threats and pressure aimed at China’s partners around the world and specifically in Southeast Asia.
The Southeast Asian Kingdom of Thailand, still erroneously pegged by some as an ally of the US, has long since pivoted away from its Cold War alliances and has invested deeply in building economic, political and even military ties with Beijing.

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the diminishing state of US-China trade talks, which has resulted in the Trump White House raising tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, and a Chinese has retaliation on imports from the United States.
Regardless of how the trade talks finally conclude, with a deal or a complete breakdown between the two parties, one thing is certain, the final outcome will have massive, global consequences on an economic and political scale.

After decades of global integration, Dan Steinbock sees imperial presidential policies based on “national security interests” producing majestic mistakes. How Carl Schmitt Took Over the White House By Dan Steinbock Special to Consortium News             As the controversial German jurist Carl Schmitt…Read more →

Beijing wants to avoid an all-out trade war with Washington. That is what will count at the G-20 summit later this week, writes Patrick Lawrence, not the U.S. vice president’s hostility in Asia earlier this month. Trying to Isolate China…Read more →

The Chinese Commerce Ministry has indicated its readiness to introduce various import tariffs on 5,207 US goods worth approximately $60 billion.
The Commerce Ministry said in a statement  that the tariffs would be imposed at four different tax rates.
China’s announcement comes after President Donald Trump threatened to raise the proposed tariff rate on an additional $200 billion worth of goods to 25% from 10%.

This article first appeared in Truthdig. 
As Jonathan Swift once noted: “There is nothing constant in this world but inconsistency.”

Finian Cunningham
Strategic-Culture