Slashdot Mirror
President Trump Pledges To Help China's ZTE, After Ban (usatoday.com)
President Trump said Sunday that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping are working to put the troubled Chinese telecom manufacturer ZTE back in business. From a report: "President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast," Trump said in a message on Twitter. "Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!" ZTE, maker of Android phones popular with budget-minded consumers, said Wednesday that it would cease "major operating activities," raising questions not only about its survival, but the impact on U.S. consumers who have previously bought or were thinking of buying ZTE phones. The announcement followed a decision last month by the U.S. Commerce Department, which banned American companies from exporting products to the Shenzhen, China-based telecom firm for seven years.
...JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! He just didn't mention that they would be Chinese jobs.
Making up excuse to punish ZTE in the first place. And now making up excuse to back down failing to get more from negotiation.
ZTE repeatedly violated the US sanctions against Iran, and lied to the government while in remediation. Now that the US has broken it's international agreement w/Iran & is threatening sanctions against our global partners who were also part of the agreement, the only logical 5d chess move is to get ZTE back in the business of selling security-compromised devices to Americans. Using the Dept of Commerce, paid for by American tax dollars.
I would be shocked if this was a backroom quid pro quo deal with China to expand the Trump brand business interests. Shocked I say.
tl;dr Jobs Jobs Jobs!
Where is the insight in that tiny bit of fluff? There is an obvious peculiarity here: "Trump says America first, but NOT if it will hurt ZTE!" Not that the lie or self-contraindication is peculiar as regards Trump. The peculiar question is "Why?" Two obvious answer candidates:
(1) Trump is begging Xi to lean on little Kim Jong-Un to play nice next month. I do think Kim is insane, but not nearly insane enough to trust Trump, and it is possible that Trump realizes how embarrassing this fiasco could become. Libya model indeed.
(2) Someone is making money on this scam. Who did Trump telephone about this course reversal? Hint: Look for "sharp" investors who suddenly bought up a bunch of ZTE shares. In this case, we're back to the question of whether or not Trump got his own beak wet.
Actually reminds me of the ongoing Cohen fiasco. Was Cohen keeping all the loot, or was he kicking some back to Trump? In either case, it's going to be really hard to pardon him (which means Cohen is going to flip and drag ALL of Trump's skeletons out of the closet).
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.
Concessions he gets in return. This seems to be something forgotten by generations raised post Cold War era. Power politics are not just about negotiating. They're about negotiating from the position of power.
CCP's primary reason for economic development is employment, as employment reduces social unrest. Social unrest is the primary boogie man of CCP, which is terrified of its own people. That is why they maintain the steel production in otherwise poor northern China in spite of massive oversupply it is causing on the world markets, and all the anti-China tensions that go with it. Can't afford mass unemployment and unrest it will cause.
Same applies here. Trump has shown once again that he understands power politics. He has CCP by the balls on this one, and now, he can actually negotiate.
I still think Trump's primary focus (and desperate hope) is to get Xi to lean on Kim. I read Trump as desperate to get something out of the June 12th meeting, but the most likely scenario is that Kim is teeing Trump up for a YUGE punt. Actually, Trump already defined a game of reverse chicken, by claiming he will "win" by walking out if he can't get what he wants. Under the terms of Trump's own game, I'm expecting Kim to walk out first and claim the win. China's next response to Trump will go along the lines of "Tut, tut, tut, Little Donald. Let's not do anything rash."
That's predicated on the theory that China basically likes things as they are now. I think China sees a strong and unified Korea as a probable nuisance and possible threat. Unless China sees some substantial advantage in an actual peace treaty, they might as well leave things as they are. Meanwhile Bolton keeps braying about the "Libya model" and Kim knows exactly how that one worked out. No sane dictator would give up his nukes to follow Qaddafi's lead.
My reasoning certainly could be flawed. I actually expected China to make a move before this. I figured the Chinese would offer Trump a deal of North Korea for Taiwan. I still think China is confident that they can integrate Taiwan with little problem and enormous profit, while South Korea would be kept busy for decades trying to heal and integrate North Korea. The lack of official peace in Korea has been mostly harmless, but the establishment of an independent Taiwan would really piss them off.
However the troll did raise an interesting point regarding the insider trading, though I certainly can't take it on his say so. So how else could smart insiders profit from their phone calls with Trump if they don't want to be so obvious as playing with ZTE? Future contracts? Gambles on related companies, both suppliers and customers?
Freedom = (Meaningful - Coerced) Choice != (Speech | Beer^2), and sad sock puppets' bad mods avail them naught.