Trump/Biden/Kissinger and Xi on China

[Randy W]

Just to let us know they're still ticking . . .

 

in the Global Times

 

 

Positive import growth from the US indicates China’s confidence to fulfill phase one trade deal: experts

 

 

Experts believe the growth is an indication of China's confidence to fulfill the trade pact with the US, but urge the US to cut any remaining additional tariffs imposed on Chinese goods to minimalize the coronavirus risks on the economy.

 

. . .

 

In late February, China lifted an import ban on US beef, giving the US farmers much broader access to China's rising market, which experts believe will significantly boost US beef exports.

Medical supplies purchases, including face masks and hazmat suits amid the coronavirus spread, might also have driven the import from the US,

. . .

Tian noted that the plunge in exports to the US is largely due to the halted factory activities in China, which have triggered a delay in international orders.

. . .

Positive import growth from the US indicates China’s confidence to fulfill phase one trade deal: experts

 

[Greg.D.]

Reprisals? Or, CCP can't take the heat right now? Hurt feelings?

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/beijing-pulls-credentials-for-journalists-at-three-us-news-outlets-including-the-post/2020/03/17/22a476d6-686f-11ea-b199-3a9799c54512_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_china-135pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans&itid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_china-135pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

 

 

Beijing pulls credentials for journalists at three U.S. news outlets, including The Post

By

Emily Rauhala

March 17, 2020 at 2:24 p.m. MDT

Chinese authorities announced Tuesday that U.S. journalists from The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal will effectively be expelled from the country as part of retaliation for Trump administration limits on U.S.-based Chinese state media.

The move widens another rift in U.S.-China relations already strained by trade disputes and questions over how the world’s two biggest economies will recalibrate their ties after the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement published Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the three U.S. outlets, plus Voice of America and Time magazine, will be designated as “foreign missions” and must report information about their staff, finance, operation and real estate in China.

The statement did not mention pulling credentials for Time and VOA, but it was unclear whether China would take further action.

The moves came after the United States took measures in February against Chinese Communist Party-controlled news outlets operating in the United States. Later, China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters.

“I regret China’s decision today to further foreclose the world’s ability to conduct free press operations that frankly would be really good for the Chinese people,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters. “This is unfortunate. I hope they’ll reconsider.”

The new rules would reshape foreign journalism in China.

The statement said that U.S. citizens working for The Post, the Times and the Wall Street Journal, whose press credentials are due to expire before the end of 2020, must hand back their press cards. They will not be able to go to Hong Kong or Macao as a base for work, it said.

.......

“The Chinese government’s decision is particularly regrettable because it comes in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis, when clear and reliable information about the international response to covid-19 is essential,” he continued.

“Severely limiting the flow of that information, which China now seeks to do, only aggravates the situation,” Baron said.

The new rules take aim at some U.S. media outlets but not others. The Associated Press and Bloomberg News have offices in Beijing, for instance, as do major U.S. broadcasters including CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS.

[Randy W]

. . . or just flat out antagonistics. From the SCMP

 

China says expulsion of US reporters may just be the start

• If Washington ‘continues on the wrong track, China will be forced to take further countermeasures’, foreign ministry spokesman says

• Comment comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he hopes Beijing will reconsider its decision

In an unprecedented step, it said they would also be barred from working as journalists in Hong Kong and Macau.

 

In the past, foreign journalists banished from mainland China have been allowed to work in Hong Kong.

 

“This is a clear violation of the Basic Law, which says we are supposed to look after our own immigration matters. But now, it is all according to Beijing’s orders,” Hong Kong lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching said.

 

 

[Greg.D.]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-media-breakingviews/breakingviews-chinas-news-war-risks-collateral-economic-harm-idUSKBN2151VO

 

Breakingviews - China’s news war risks collateral economic harm

HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - China’s war on U.S. newspapers could backfire economically. Beijing is expelling reporters from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post in retaliation for U.S. restrictions on Chinese state media. For foreign investors who are already inclined to discount local financial reporting, it’s another red flag. It also risks further inflating the fake news bubble enveloping President Xi Jinping.

 

China’s Communist Party has long resented what it sees as relentless negativity from Western media. Its complaints aren’t always baseless. But on balance the presence of seasoned operators like the Times, and their extensive reporting on the country, validated China’s importance. It also familiarized investors with the risks and opportunities of a fast-growing economy. American journalists introduced readers to companies they’d never heard of, including e-commerce successes like Alibaba, and chronicled the exciting and dynamic elements of China’s business community.

 

.......

 

Xi may feel he doesn’t need any of the transparency strings attached to American money. He’s certainly been less tactful than predecessors with multinationals, and reporter expulsions have become common. He’s pushing China’s censorship regime overseas; domestic analysts are being ordered to stay positive. Beijing bears ultimate responsibility for local censorship that arguably aggravated two costly outbreaks in 2019: a swine fever that prompted harsh food price inflation, and Covid-19, now pushing the global economy into recession.

[Randy W]

A couple of statements via China Pictorial on Facebook

 

https://www.facebook.com/553929144732479/posts/2645835062208533/

 

https://www.facebook.com/553929144732479/posts/2645835062208533/

 

 

China on Wednesday announced countermeasures against restrictive measures on Chinese media agencies in the United States, according to an official statement. The statement said that in recent years, the U.S. government has placed unwarranted restrictions on Chinese media agencies and personnel in the United States, purposely made things difficult for their normal reporting assignments, and subjected them to growing discrimination and politically motivated oppression.

 

 

 

- and -

 

The statement said that China's fundamental state policy of opening up has not changed and will not change. "Foreign media organizations and journalists who cover stories in accordance with laws and regulations are always welcome in China, and will get continued assistance from our side. What we reject is ideological bias against China, fake news made in the name of press freedom, and breaches of ethics in journalism. "

 

[Greg.D.]

If they want to become the hermit kingdom again, they can. The people know what they have seen when they travel abroad, especially to Tawain: a democracy full of Chinese people. Probably why Xi hates Tawain so much. The ccp rejects ideological bias from foreigners but insists on it everywhere else - including among overseas Chinese.

[amberjack1234]

Yep, let 'em lock the doors again.

[Randy W]

from the SCMP

 

 

China calls for ‘concrete steps’ from US to cooperate in coronavirus fight

• Chinese President Xi Jinping calls for unity and solidarity in call with US President Donald Trump

 

• Xi says he is concerned about the outbreak of the virus in the US, pledges support

In a veiled swipe at US officials, including Trump, for repeated references to Covid-19 as “the Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus”, Xi said: “The virus knows no boundaries and ethnicity, and it is our common enemy. The international community can only defeat it through working together.

 

“It is hoped that the United States will take concrete actions to improve China-US relations, and the two sides will work together to strengthen cooperation in areas such as epidemic control,” he said.

 

. . .

 

“China is willing to continue to share information and experience with the United States without reservation,” he said.

 

In a tweet, Trump said he had just finished a very good conversation with Xi. “Discussed in great detail the coronavirus that is ravaging large parts of our planet. China has been through much and has developed a strong understanding of the virus. We are working closely together. Much respect!” he wrote.

 

 

[Randy W]

. . . and from the Global Times

 

Calls rise in China to rework deal with US: sources

By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/5/11 19:33:41

0

Washington can't afford to restart trade war if everything goes back to square one

 

Inside China, dissatisfaction with the phase one agreement has been growing because China has made compromise for the deal to press ahead.

In the past, some trade negotiators believed that it would be worthwhile to make certain compromise to reach a partial truce in the 22-month trade war and ease escalating tensions. However, given US President Donald Trump's hyping an anti-China conspiracy that aims to cover up his mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, advisors close to the trade talks have suggested Chinese officials rekindling the possibility of invalidating the trade pact and negotiating a new one to tilt the scales more to the Chinese side, sources close the matter told the Global Times.

A former Chinese trade official told the Global Times on condition of anonymity on Monday that China could complete such procedures based on force majeure provisions in the pact.

"It's in fact in China's interests to terminate the current phase one deal. It is beneficial to us. The US now cannot afford to restart the trade war with China if everything goes back to the starting point," another trade advisor to the Chinese government told the Global Times, pointing to the staggering US economy and the coming of the US presidential election this year.

 

 

[Randy W]

Brought up in a press conference - from Breitbart. Consider it scrapped?

 

Trump Rejects Renegotiating China Trade Deal: 'Not Interested'

 

 

 

REPORTER STEVE HOLLAND: The South China Morning Post, the Beijing newspaper, says China would like to reopen negotiations on the trade deal to make the terms more favorable to them. Is this something you’d be interested in doing?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, not at all. Not even a little bit. I’m not interested. We signed a deal. I had heard that too that they’d like to reopen the trade talks to make it a better deal for them. China’s been taking advantage of the United States for many, many years, for decades. Because we had people in this position, right here where I’m standing, sitting in the Oval Office, that allowed that to happen. No, I’m not interested. Let’s see if they live up to the deal that they signed.

 

 

 

[Randy W]

A trade war extension?

 

[Randy W]

[Randy W]

Fickle - from the SCMP

 

Trump threatens to ‘cut off’ China ties, doesn’t want to speak to Xi

US president says ‘ink barely dry’ on trade deal when ‘plague came over’

In interview with Fox Business, Trump focused more on China’s response to outbreak than on its origin

 

 

[eseum]

Ok, so it seems to be getting worse: https://www.aol.com/article/news/2020/05/18/us-mulls-paying-companies-tax-breaks-to-pull-supply-chains-from-china/24344325/

 

U.S. mulls paying companies, tax breaks to pull supply chains from China

Andrea Shalal and Alexandra Alper and Patricia Zengerle

May 18th 2020 8:06AM

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers and officials are crafting proposals to push American companies to move operations or key suppliers out of China that include tax breaks, new rules, and carefully structured subsidies.

Interviews with a dozen current and former government officials, industry executives and members of Congress show widespread discussions underway - including the idea of a "reshoring fund" originally stocked with $25 billion - to encourage U.S. companies to drastically revamp their relationship with China.

 

Looks like my tax dollars will be hard at work, because these companies really need my money for this to work. Sure they do.

[Randy W]

from the SCMP

 

 

 

China subtly, quietly implementing phase one trade deal despite US tensions

 

China has increased its purchases of US farm products, although it is lagging far behind the commitment for agricultural purchases in the phase one trade deal

 

Beijing has also transferred responsibility for the purchases to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, suggesting they are no longer a political task

Beijing still sees the deal as an important way to display goodwill even as tensions between Beijing and Washington continue to escalate on other issues, including the national security law in Hong Kong and the origin of the coronavirus, analysts said.

 

In a subtle move behind the scenes, Beijing has shifted the day-to-day authority over China’s purchases of US farm products, such as soybeans, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs from the Ministry of Commerce, according to sources and government documents.