Gordon Chang on Trump's Beijing Visit, TikTok Deal, and South Korea's Economy

Concerns Over Trump's Potential Beijing Visit

• ⚠️ Gordon Chang expresses unhappiness about President Trump's potential visit to Beijing, fearing it will be perceived by China as a "vassal going to the Grand Celestial Court."
• 🎯 He believes this perception, rooted in historical Chinese diplomacy, could undermine Trump's ability to achieve his goals by reinforcing a Chinese narrative.
• 💡 Chang suggests Trump should only visit Beijing after Xi Jinping visits the United States to avoid this perception.

Scrutiny of the TikTok Deal

• 🔍 Chang highlights concerns about the TikTok deal, particularly the licensing of the curation algorithm from China.
• 🚫 He points out that Chinese law prohibits the export of such technology, and the Chinese foreign ministry has not confirmed the deal.
• 🧩 The curation algorithm is critical, as China has allegedly used it to exacerbate social divisions, meddle in elections, and promote social ills.
• ⚖️ The compliance of ByteDance retaining a board seat with U.S. law is questioned, with a focus on data control and the algorithm as the most important aspects.

South Korea's Economic Warnings

• 📉 South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warns that U.S. investment demands could lead to a crisis rivaling the 1997 meltdown without a currency swap.
• 🗣️ Chang dismisses these comments as overblown, attributing them to President Yoon's anti-U.S. stance and efforts to undermine the treaty alliance.
• 🤝 Despite President Yoon's actions, the South Korean people generally like the United States, with protests against Yoon's treatment of the U.S.

Bipartisan Lawmakers' Trip to China

• 🇨🇳 A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, led by Congressman Adam Smith, visited China and met with the Chinese premier to discuss bilateral ties.
• military cooperation was also reportedly discussed.
• 🚫 Chang believes such trips send the wrong signal at this time, especially given the lack of effective communication channels with the Chinese military.
• 🗣️ He states that mill-to-mill communications have historically not fulfilled their promise because China waits for political leaders to decide critical issues.