Mick Mulvaney on US-Japan Co-Investment in Rare Earths and Government Shutdowns

US-China Trade Relations

• 🇨🇳 The relationship between the US and China is described as a "cold peace," not a full-blown trade war, with expectations of "framework" agreements rather than comprehensive deals.
• 🤝 When President Trump and Xi Jinping meet, they will announce something, but it won't be a final or comprehensive deal, leaving room for future negotiations.

Rare Earths and International Trade

• 🇲🇾 The agreement with Malaysia is significant, partly due to its substantial rare earth resources.
• 🇯🇵 Japan has long been concerned about China's chokehold on rare earths and is ahead of the US in addressing this issue.
• 💡 There is potential for US-Japan co-investment to develop Japan's domestic rare earth resources, a topic raised in meetings.

US Government Shutdown Dynamics

• 🏛️ Polling on the government shutdown is dismissed as unlikely to affect voting behavior, as people rarely blame a party enough to change their vote.
• 🚫 Neither party has a strong immediate interest in ending the shutdown, with Democrats seeing favorable polling and Republicans benefiting from increased executive authority for the President.
• ✈️ A potential indicator for the shutdown's impact could be air traffic controller delays if they do not receive pay.