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Posted on 05/16/2026 9:17:17 AM PDT by Rummyfan
The Enemedia heard a threat. But in fact, Xi may be realizing China’s best hope is détente: the map is closing in, America is awake, and the old bluff no longer works.
Donald Trump had an exceptionally good China summit this week. Xi Jinping did too. He might even realize it.
The Enemedia, of course, is filled with talk of Xi’s “Thucydides Trap” reference, and sees it as a threat. From my point of view, it appears they didn’t actually read Graham Allison’s book (but do reporters actually read books? Little evidence suggests they do). More on that in a minute.
Trump came away with important commitments: Chinese purchases of American farm goods, energy — it’s hard to attack your oil supplier — and a whopping 200 Boeing jets, with a possibility that number could rise to 750; continued progress in trade discussions; a framework for managing non-sensitive commerce; and explicit agreement that Tehran must not obtain nuclear weapons. Rest assured, the mullahs feel betrayed today. But China was never really their ally to begin with.
Likewise on Taiwan, Trump didn’t give an inch. Xi brought it up to be sure: how couldn’t he? Taiwan is an enormous pride point for China; it’s also the centerpiece of America’s First Island Chain containing CCP access to the Pacific. If Xi didn’t raise the point, he wouldn’t just look weak: he would be weak. And in a regime increasingly characterized by purges of top leaders, that is one thing Xi cannot afford.
(Excerpt) Read more at rodmartin.org ...
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Why are we helping our enemy.
Keep your friends close
Your enemies closer.
I think China is on the verge of something resembling The Great Depression. There’s no way out for them. All of the purges mean that Xi is very insecure. He has made himself dictator for life. But that’s grabbing the tiger by the tail. He now personally owns every problem, and he has proven himself incapable of dealing with those problems. This doesn’t make China “safe.” Remember why the Falklands war started. General Leopoldo Galtieri, the head of Argentina, thought it would take the people’s mind off their terrible economy, and he’d get a war popularity boost. Oops. That turned into an exploding cigar.
In that picture, Xi appears to be wearing shoes that increase his height.
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