4 h. ago Why Trump’s ‘best for business’ diplomacy will fail with Russia or China

“All I’ve done all my life is deals,” US President Donald Trump told the Gaza peace summit, going on to say “maybe this is going to be the greatest deal of them all”. Trump has cultivated his image on being the greatest deal-maker, a legacy central to his identity as a business tycoon and now fundamental to his reputation as a world leader. The ceasefire in Gaza has been framed as a crowning achievement in this repertoire. “Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long...

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7 h. ago Trump retreat from soft power hurts US, Kansas — but helps China | Opinion

Trump retreat from soft power hurts US, Kansas — but helps China | Opinion  Wichita Eagle

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55 h. ago Opinion | Trump’s Crackdown on Chinese Students Ignores a Startling New Reality

Opinion | Trump’s Crackdown on Chinese Students Ignores a Startling New Reality  The New York Times

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4 d. ago Opinion | Trump’s approach to Middle East diplomacy won’t work with China

Opinion | Trump’s approach to Middle East diplomacy won’t work with China  The Washington Post

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8 d. ago Trump’s tariff tirade is nothing more than hurtful political theatre

Markets that seemed initially unconcerned about US-China trade tensions reacted sharply last Friday to US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose an extra 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. Wall Street, driven by AI-focused tech companies, lost around US$2 trillion in value. This increase in dependence on China’s supply chain suggests that any further escalation could trigger a market bubble burst. Mixed messaging from Trump to try to keep China off balance isn’t helping to ease...

Politics

9 d. ago Will the US republic survive stress test of Trump’s presidency?

Donald Trump’s return to the presidency didn’t just shift US politics. It triggered a systemic stress test of the American republic. Constitutional, strategic, technological, fiscal and civic stabilisers are under simultaneous strain. Whether the United States adapts or drifts will shape the character of its institutions for decades. The most visible stress is constitutional. Early directives concentrated authority in the executive branch. Oversight officials have been removed, independent...

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1 week ago Trump is shaking down US trade partners – in a reverse Marshall Plan

In what Martin Wolf at the Financial Times called “pure gangsterism”, US President Donald Trump has extracted pledged investments of at least US$1.5 trillion from America’s trading partners. This amounts to the Marshall Plan in reverse. The scheme Washington initiated in 1947 essentially provided economic aid to Europe and later Japan. Of the US$13 billion provided, 90 per cent were grants. But in the US-Japan trade deal, seen as a political trophy for Trump, money will flow in the other...

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1 week ago In a reverse Marshall Plan, Trump is squeezing US allies for cash

In what Martin Wolf at the Financial Times called “pure gangsterism”, US President Donald Trump has extracted pledged investments of at least US$1.5 trillion from America’s trading partners. This amounts to the Marshall Plan in reverse. The scheme Washington initiated in 1947 essentially provided economic aid to Europe and later Japan. Of the US$13 billion provided, 90 per cent were grants. But in the US-Japan trade deal, seen as a political trophy for Trump, money will flow in the other...

Politics

1 week ago Trump’s Gaza deal forged by diplomacy blitz, help from Arab and Muslim allies

After months of gridlock, US President Donald Trump finally landed a long-sought Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza - an agreement that only came together after a weeks-long diplomacy blitz and a whole lot of help from some Arab and Muslim allies. The breakthrough is designed to bring about a pause in the fighting unleashed by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The group is expected to release 48 hostages - about 20 of them believed to be alive - in the coming days. The...

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2 w. ago OUR OPINION: Lawmakers should push Trump to reopen soybeans exports to China

OUR OPINION: Lawmakers should push Trump to reopen soybeans exports to China  Sioux City Journal

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2 w. ago Did logician Kurt Gödel anticipate a Trumpian dictatorship in America?

In late August, US President Donald Trump felt the need to declare not once but twice that he was not a dictator. However, he seemed to equivocate on the matter by claiming that many Americans would like to have one: “A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we’d like a dictator.’ I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator.” Remember when Richard Nixon once said, “I am not a crook”? When someone feels the need to vehemently deny they are not someone people think they are, there is probably some truth...

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3 w. ago Opinion | Why Trump’s TikTok deal will be music to China’s ears

Opinion | Why Trump’s TikTok deal will be music to China’s ears  South China Morning Post

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3 w. ago Opinion | Why China plans while Trump’s America can only react

Opinion | Why China plans while Trump’s America can only react  South China Morning Post

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3 w. ago Opinion | Trump’s dealmaking can’t compare to China’s single

Opinion | Trump’s dealmaking can’t compare to China’s single-minded planning  South China Morning Post

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3 w. ago US allies are shaping their own world as Trump’s America retreats

“We will move forwards together,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared in Mexico, where he pushed for a new era of bilateral cooperation between America’s two immediate neighbours. Carney, who met Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, added: “I have full confidence, and so does the president, that we can find the adjustments needed to reinforce competition and competitiveness in our region.” This was the first visit in eight years by a Canadian leader to Mexico City, underscoring the...

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4 w. ago How will Trump revive US shipbuilding after years of protectionist rot?

US hopes of getting China to place big orders of Boeing jets have risen anew after reports of progress, including a framework agreement on TikTok, at the fourth round of trade negotiations in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Praising the progress, US President Donald Trump said he would meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Seoul, which starts at the end of next month, and plans to visit China early next year. But why would China wish to buy US...

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