Trump has been all over China since at least 2018 and gave a warning to them to pull their head in or risk consequences. Well, they didn’t pull their head in and they are about to face the consequences of their arrogance.
He offered every opportunity to save face. He gave them every chance to stop breathing fire on the world and let things cool down. Instead, China has upped the ante, increased its arrogance and challenged America to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
President Trump has risen to that challenge and is not about to back down.
In the story about St George and the dragon, St George slew the dragon by finding its weak point – the soft under belly.
Trump has found China’s underbelly – trade. Money.
China has fought the Hong Kong People; fought for Pakistan in Kashmir and taunted the American Navy in the South China Sea.
China has done nothing to step back from its aggressive takeover of the world – in fact, it has ramped up and become more provocative and more intimidating.
It cannot be said that President Trump did not warn Xi that global intimidation was not going to work under his Watch.
In fact, he warned China that America was ready to stand up and fight against Communism and the overthrow of Democracy.
He did it with a speech from Mike Pence back on October 4, 2018. To the Hudson Institute.
It was a powerful speech, an informative speech and one that, in light of current events, was one of the most important speeches made. It laid the ground rules out for how China should behave and cleverly warned the Chinese that the game was up.
We here, down under, would say this happened on 4-10, but in America, it is referred to as 10-4. “ Understood. Message Received.” Was the date deliberate? Certainly auspicious. It was letting China know that the gig was up and Trump and his Government were not about to let it continue. “ It “ being what China has so blatantly gotten away with?
The speech lasted 45 minutes. The key points were most instructive. Here are some excerpts. You can read the full transcript here. I have placed some links that are of interest to me personally, and I hope that they help build a view of the picture.
“ The dream of freedom remains distant for the Chinese people. Chinese ships routinely patrol around the Senkaku Islands, which are administered by Japan.
China’s leader stood in the Rose Garden of the White House in 2015 and said that his country had “no intention to militarize the South China Sea,” today, Beijing has deployed advanced anti-ship and anti-air missiles atop an archipelago of military bases constructed on artificial islands……
We will not be intimidated; we will not stand down.
America had hoped that economic liberalization would bring China into greater partnership with us and with the world. Instead, China has chosen economic aggression, which has in turn emboldened its growing military.
Today, China has built an unparalleled surveillance state, and it’s growing more expansive and intrusive – often with the help of U.S. technology. The “Great Firewall of China” likewise grows higher, drastically restricting the free flow of information to the Chinese people. And by 2020, China’s rulers aim to implement an Orwellian system premised on controlling virtually every facet of human life – the so-called “social credit score.” In the words of that program’s official blueprint, it will “allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven, while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step.”
China uses so-called “debt diplomacy” to expand its influence.
Sri Lanka, which took on massive debt to let Chinese state companies build a port with questionable commercial value. Two years ago, that country could no longer afford its payments – so Beijing pressured Sri Lanka to deliver the new port directly into Chinese hands. It may soon become a forward military base for China’s growing blue-water navy.
Beijing is also corrupting some nations’ politics by providing direct support to parties and candidates who promise to accommodate China’s strategic objectives…
…previous administrations all but ignored China’s actions – and in many cases, they abetted them. But those days are over.
Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States of America has been defending our interests with renewed American strength…
Beijing routinely demands that Hollywood portray China in a strictly positive light, and it punishes studios and producers that don’t.”
I encourage you all to read the full transcript.
President Trump and Vice President Pence let China know in no uncertain terms that the gig was up.
Xi didn’t listen and it is now “ Game On. “
Hence the importance of India and Australia.
Trump is ahead of the Game. Thank God.
