Will Elon Musk save China from Trump? “China Looks to Musk as Conduit to Trump, Seeking to Ward Off Harsh Policies” (Wall Street Journal, November 24, 2024).
“Chinese leaders enjoy some leverage over the Tesla chief executive, who has poured billions of dollars into investments in Shanghai…. The uncertainties surrounding the idea are many, starting with whether Musk would be interested in serving as go-between and whether Trump and others in his cabinet want him involved in China policy. And if Trump is determined to impose high tariffs on Chinese goods, as he has suggested, there may be nothing to talk about.”
Will Musk and Ramaswamy threaten China? “Musk, Ramaswamy will be biggest threat for Beijing in Trump 2.0, warns Chinese advisor” (The Economic Times, November 23, 2024).
“China’s biggest risk during Donald Trump’s 2.0 would be US government overhauls driven by Musk and Ramaswamy, according to Zheng Yongnian, China’s top academic and policy advisor to Beijing. ‘A more efficient US political system would put huge pressure on China’s current system,’ Zheng, dean of the School of Public Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Shenzhen campus, said….”
Will China become stronger than ever as a result of Trump’s tariffs? “China is armed and ready for trade war 2.0 with Donald Trump” (CNN, November 22, 2024).
“ ‘The best response to the tariffs that Beijing can make is to get its own house in order, by restoring confidence among Chinese entrepreneurs, who account for 90% of urban employment and most innovation,’ said [Andy Rothman, “China strategist” at Matthews Asia]. ‘This would boost consumer confidence, which would lead to stronger domestic consumption, which would mitigate the impact of weaker exports to the US.’ ”
Will Trump enable China to take over the world? “China looks to step into global vacuum as Trump vows to pull U.S. back” (Washington Post, November 23, 2024).
“When climate negotiators from around the world began meeting here for the U.N. talks known as COP29, less than a week after climate-change skeptic Donald Trump was elected president again, one country in particular was ready to step into the U.S.-size gap. China, the world’s renewable-energy leader and its biggest emitter of planet-warming greenhouse gases, is presenting itself as fully committed to the fight against climate change.”
Is Trump doomed to lose a new Cold War with China? “China Uses Biden-Xi Summit to Warn Trump” (Newsweek, November 18, 2024)
“Xi said ‘a new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won’ and that attempts at ‘containing China’s rise’ are both unwise and futile, according to a summary of his remarks released by China’s foreign ministry… ‘Neither China nor the U.S. should seek to remodel the other according to one’s own will, suppress the other from the so-called ‘position of strength,’ or deprive the other of the legitimate right to development so as to maintain its leading status,’ Xi was paraphrased as saying.”
Will Donald Trump “stir up trouble” in the South China Sea? “Trump return to power in US may raise risk of escalation in South China Sea, analyst warns” (South China Morning Post, November 24, 2024).
“The risk of conflict in the South China Sea may increase if Donald Trump steps up military activity in the disputed waterway because of the lack of legally binding rules over air and sea encounters, a Chinese maritime affairs analyst has warned.”
Does the reelection of Trump mean that help is on the way for Taiwan, the Philippines, and other countries in the region? “Communist China Has Not Been Idle While the U.S. Has Focused on the Election” (American Greatness, November 17, 2024)
“Given the [Chinese Communist Party’s] established pattern of testing new American administrations, the incoming Trump administration must anticipate that Xi will use this window of opportunity to turn the screws on the Philippines and Taiwan—and thus degrade the America First agenda. Nonetheless, help is on the way for U.S. allies and partners. The early appointments made by President Trump demonstrate that the strategic focus of the Trump administration will inspire ASEAN nations to resist the PRC’s hyper-aggression because they are cognizant that the U.S. sees the PRC as they do, a supremely belligerent and existential enemy.”
