There’s no gainsaying the risks in the strategic competition in the South China Sea. A new book suggests cooperation beneath its surface could chart a different course.
For China, as you suggest, Carl, Trump is the gift that keeps on giving. Today's news is the latest example reporting that the Japanese cancelled the 2+2 after Trump's DoD demanded a 3.5 percent of GDP level for Tokyo's defense spending. Aside from the lunacy of spitting in the eye of a leadership that has already committed to unprecedented spending increases despite its tenuous domestic political standing, you have the cumulative effect of a nonsensical trade war, threats of US troop withdrawals, and a president, barely coherent when he's at the table, that walks out on G-7 allies who want to talk. In Beijing, what's not to like? Just pour some more tea, sit back, and watch the clown show....
As always you present information that I should have focused on, but didn't.Thanks. From my perspective from the boon docks I see that instead of putting Beijing on its heals as they proclaim is their goal, instead the clown car and its driver have done everything they can to give Beijing a free ride. Sad.
For China, as you suggest, Carl, Trump is the gift that keeps on giving. Today's news is the latest example reporting that the Japanese cancelled the 2+2 after Trump's DoD demanded a 3.5 percent of GDP level for Tokyo's defense spending. Aside from the lunacy of spitting in the eye of a leadership that has already committed to unprecedented spending increases despite its tenuous domestic political standing, you have the cumulative effect of a nonsensical trade war, threats of US troop withdrawals, and a president, barely coherent when he's at the table, that walks out on G-7 allies who want to talk. In Beijing, what's not to like? Just pour some more tea, sit back, and watch the clown show....
As always you present information that I should have focused on, but didn't.Thanks. From my perspective from the boon docks I see that instead of putting Beijing on its heals as they proclaim is their goal, instead the clown car and its driver have done everything they can to give Beijing a free ride. Sad.