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Trump Vs. China - Live Presser

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  1. #41

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    Why do you keep setting up this strawman argument over US "rescuing" HK? No one is saying that here. Any US retaliation taken over HK is not to "rescue" HK but to impose cost on Beijing. It is not to stop the national security laws which Washington knows they can't do anything about. It is to send a signal to deter Beijing from even more aggressive action.

  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by East_coast:
    I am still not clear why breaking the basic law to ram through laws is worth it. Why do you think it is a good approach?
    You misunderstand me, I think bringing in that law is absolutely idiotic and it's only going to create problems. My wishful thinking would have been for the HK government and its masters to listen to the HK population and take advantage of the fact that protests had died down to make some changes while saving face and pretending the changes were not motivated by protests and hopefully bridge the gap. Instead they are dropping bombs and widening this gap into a gulf that may never be bridged. Why? The only thing that comes to mind is assimilate, leave or be put in jail.

    However if I am a despot and want to crush a resistance, this is probably the best time for them to try to do it for the reasons I stated. That doesn't mean I think it's good for HK but I do think they will get their way if they decide to push it through, I don't think it'll turn HK into a 1984 or like just another chinese city in the short term but that's probably the way it's headed in the long term and I think the HK people will continue to fight against it and will hopefully succeed in slowing down the assimilation.

  3. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by Coolboy:

    And if Trump is behind in the polls, what has he to lose? He can throw caution to the wind and impose heavy cost on China. His priority is winning re-election by hitting China after all, he can deal with the mess he created over China later. And if he loses, he won't be the one picking up the pieces.
    What does Trump have to lose? The presidency! History has shown that being behind in the polls doesn't mean defeat. I think that tough talks against China will appeal to his base but actions that could hurt the US economy will not. Sanctions applied this week could also be taken away as soon as the next president sits. China is obviously banking on that logic. I don't discard that Trump might follow up with small sanctions as a shot across the bow just as a warning that they are paying attention but They've already been at odds for over a year now so I don't see any radical changes, it's a political game, HK is one small piece and it's being toyed with at the moment. Neither side will win or lose anytime soon...

  4. #44

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    Quote Originally Posted by Aramis:
    What does Trump have to lose? The presidency! History has shown that being behind in the polls doesn't mean defeat. I think that tough talks against China will appeal to his base but actions that could hurt the US economy will not. Sanctions applied this week could also be taken away as soon as the next president sits. China is obviously banking on that logic. I don't discard that Trump might follow up with small sanctions as a shot across the bow just as a warning that they are paying attention but They've already been at odds for over a year now so I don't see any radical changes, it's a political game, HK is one small piece and it's being toyed with at the moment. Neither side will win or lose anytime soon...
    Your scenario is quite possible. But here's an alternative to consider: you are using conventional logic that may apply to any other political leader. But Trump is not a conventional political leader, for better or worse (mostly worse). The trade deal Trump made is already in serious doubt because China has not been buying anything close to the amount agreed. Getting rid of it does not hurt Trump either way. He can spin it in anyway he wants. The farmers, a solid Trump bloc, will simply drink his kool aid. And with the coronavirus, the Chinese economy is in no better shape than the US. China does not have the leverage over Trump that Beijing thinks it has. Trump is being attacked for being, interestingly enough, soft on China. He has every incentive to hit China hard.
    Last edited by Coolboy; 31-05-2020 at 06:59 PM.

  5. #45

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    Original Post Deleted
    You actually believed that?

  6. #46

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    Trump ordering elimination of special treatment for Hong Kong

    I have no idea what it means. Will it directly affect US companies like Apple and Disney who are doing business in Hong Kong in a negative way?


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