Michael Pillsbury on Trump's China Strategy and Global Alliances

Trump's First Term China Strategy

• 💡 President Trump initially attempted a friendly approach with China in 2017-2018, aiming to increase Chinese investment in America.
• 💥 This strategy, championed by then-Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, ultimately "blew up in the president's face."
• 📝 Despite signing a "best agreement of all," the Chinese learned they could "get away with murder" by being polite, leading to ongoing denials of wrongdoing.

Current Approach to China Negotiations

• 🎯 Trump is now moving towards a comprehensive agreement covering multiple issues like Taiwan, rare earths, spying, and intellectual property rights.
• 📈 The alternative to a written agreement involves serious tariffs, with Trump mentioning rates of 200% or more.
• 🔍 The current negotiations are in the early phases, learning from the first term's experience where China "outsmarted us."

China's Global Network and Alliances

• 🤝 China is hosting a military parade attended by approximately 25 heads of state, including leaders from North Korea and Russia.
• 🚫 Pillsbury notes that these attendees are primarily from "rogue regimes" or nations like Russia that have committed aggression, and importantly, no democracies were present.
• 🚫 The US was notably not invited to this event, which Pillsbury characterized as an "association of gangsters."