GE 2025 - What it is gonna like?

 The drum of a GE is getting louder by the day. Polling Day is set on 3 May. Not much time left for campaigning and walkabouts. Both the ruling party and the oppositions are gearing up for the contest as always. So far it is looking like business as usual, the same text, the same slate of candidates from both sides, and the same narratives to be played over and over again. Nothing new except for a few new faces. Other than the trade war affecting all countries, domestically there are not real clutching issues, maybe rising cost of living and the unstoppable influx of foreigners.

From the opposition side, what I hope to see is more serious contest in terms of candidates and no 3 corner or multi corner fights. The opposition camp has the disadvantage of fielding good candidates that are hard to come by. No doubt they have some very good candidates that are on par with the best in the ruling party. Often the strength of good candidates is compromised by the addition of weak candidates and undermine the competitiveness of the team in a GRC. Every candidate counts and weak candidates included under the DEI formula is an Achilles Heel to the opposition camp.

The second point is to be serious in wanting to win a seat or GRC. When a one on one contest is still a big hurdle to cross, it is ridiculous and a joke to contest in a 3 corner or multi corner fight. What are the intent and purpose of such a fight when losing is nearly a 99.9% reality. A general election is not masak masak, just to contest for the sake of contesting when the chance of winning is practically nil in a multi corner fight. What is going on in the minds of the opposition camp? Fielding a candidate or team for fun, for publicity, for ego in multi corner fights?

On the side, the ruling party, the changing of the guards is expected with the overstayers and less effective MPs and ministers being retired. One of LKY's core belief is that every candidate fielded must be as good as flawless. The ruling party has ample choices, as they could tap on a bigger pool of good candidates. LKY made it very clear that he did not want to bother about the private lives of his candidates. But once a candidate's private life becomes a public scandal, he/she should not be fielded. Such candidates are a liability to the party and his team. No amount of washing with flower water can remove the doubts about such candidates in the minds of the public. Clever explanations are not easily accepted in the courts of public opinions. It is also a reflection of the party's integrity and what it stands for.

The ruling party also have the same DEI problems in fielding candidates and often weak candidates too are being fielded. Both sides are affected by this legal requirement to be politically correct. Given the privilege of numbers, the problem is more exaggerated in the opposition camp than in the ruling party camp.

GE2025 is going to look like any GE in the past except that Lawrence Wong would be put to test as a new PM. He would be faced with the problem of consolidating his power and support base for his next term. This could be tricky as there are many personalities and ageing problems that he has to deal with. He would have to call upon the support of Hsien Loong to ensure a smooth changing of the guards. No minister or MP would want to give up their lucrative positions voluntarily, especially those that have sunk in their roots and think they are indispensable, cannot be dislodged, they are the best in the island.

Lawrence would want a strong team that he can trust and rely upon without having to watch his back. Trust and loyalty are extremely critical during this phase of his premiership when his support base is still in the making.

Russia's new wargame business...pay and play for all you like with latest war machine

 Russia and China are now in possession of some of the finest weapons and weapons systems in the world that would make the American weapons and weapons systems looked dated and obsolete. The overhyped F35s have yet to face real battle against the Russian and Chinese equivalents. All the Americans could crow about is on paper, claiming superiority here and there on a sick aircraft that has loads of unsolved problems. As the Ukraine War falls into pieces, the Americans may be forced to use the questionable F35s against the Russians Sus and Migs. Then all the fictitious claims would fall apart when the F35s start to fall from the sky.

China has even developed several advanced sixth generation fighters and bombers. And China's anti ship missiles, China's laser anti aircraft and anti drone systems are top notch, the best available. But many of these advanced weapon systems are not for sale in case they fall into the hands of the American terrorists that have run out of ideas and unable to produce anything of real value except hyping them up on papers. The best example of the declining American military technology is NASA. Once touted and made the world to believe that it possessed the most advanced space technology, has been downgraded, delegated to an irrelevant and obsolete organisation with nothing to show. NASA's main job to try to impress the world that it is still around and doing something useful, is to use photoshop to churn out images of space, claiming all kinds of discovery with fabricated images and nothing more. NASA even dares to claim a probe that was dead and lost for decades is back, alive and kicking and sending data from the edges of the universe. This is first grade Hollywood fiction for movie goers. Fiction and nothing else. Its funds have been slashed for being unproductive and technologically backward, and with all its lies of having rockets to the moon being exposed as fakes. So, what else can NASA do but use computer images to fake that they are in the forefront of space technology, looking into outer space, to the extreme universe, like the imaginations of juveniles and their fantasies.

The advancement in science and technology and in weapon systems now allowed the Russians and Chinese to start a new military weapon business called lease and play. Countries with the money but unable to purchase advanced weapons and weapons systems can send their men to China or Russia to lease war machine and play with them to their hearts content, for as long as they want, as long as they can afford to pay, even for their men to station permanently in Russia or China. They can even claim to own these weapons and weapons systems as theirs for the lease duration but cannot take them home.

This can become a lucrative source of income for the Russians and Chinese, like letting boys and girls to play in the games arcades or amusement parks. Move aside computer games creators, this is real wargames with real weapons and weapons systems and only those with deep pockets can play, to satisfy their egos, to be able to touch real advanced weapons and pretend that they own them.

China well prepared to take on the American terrorists

 China must continue to develop its domestic demand, which is very important move in the face of external threats, which may come at any time. Trump's tariffs are one example of such external threat that China must keep planning to overcome and not wait for the event to take place before it happens. Thankfully, China is ready this time and already well prepared for it.

Having said that, China is also doing right in upgrading and increasing its military spending. Just treat those howling and fabrication by others regarding China's increase military budget and consider them as mere irritants or noises. China's action is for its own protection which it needs, not to cater to what others wants to force China to do to suit their agenda. Whatever military alliances China is forging has no basis for others to complain about. Not with Russia, not with ASEAN, not with the Pacific Islands. Chinese Defense Minister, Dong Jun, is visiting Vietnam to enhance defense ties further, his second visit so far.

The USA and the West can keep speculating and downsizing China's weapon system developments, fighter jets and aircraft carriers, calling them junks. If they are junks, why bother with them, am I right? Without the usual spying ability resulting from China's cutting off Western spying with its 5G and dismantling of Western loopholes using Western apps, the West is now using speculation when talking about Chinese fighter jets and aircraft carriers, by just using satellite images to cull their information.

Anonymous

Trump's tariff war falling into pieces

 Scott Bessent appeared extremely nervous and stammering at times when answering questions on the tariff war. This shows that his arguments are flimsy and full of flaws at best and shows that the USA is not going to win easily the tariff war against China as he had earlier gloated.

But the White House bimbo spokesperson still had the audacity to claim about so much winning in every policy pushed out by the Trump administration. She is such a prolific liar but completely exposed when answering difficult questions posed by Journalists by avoiding them with vague template replies that Trump is looking into it.

Why is Trump now pulling back and exempting tariffs on laptop computers and electronic equipment made in China and other countries under his tariffs? These are also competing with USA manufacturers if I am not wrong. The main reason trotted out was that they now know that such tariffs are also punishing Apple and other USA companies that have manufacturing in China, and all other countries under reciprocal tariffs. Of course, China is at the forefront of such exports to the USA besides some others, though not at the same level.

But taking the issue further, in my personal opinion, I do wonder whether this has anything to do with the banning of critical rare earth elements by China, which is putting a strain on USA production, with competing demands from the USA military as well. Bear in mind that these are quite high value exports coming into the USA from China, not the toys and clothing, and has a high bearing on the trade surplus that China is reaping. Little by little, the shit is moving nearer to the fan, and Trump's economic advisors like Pete Navarro and Scott Bessent are finding out that some things are not what they just see on the surface. This is now a highly intricately woven global economy and is not within the one size fits all solution.

Anonymous

Trump blinked, removing his added tariffs on laptops and electronic equipment from China and everyone else

 Someone just blinked over the tariff war, but it was not China. Xi did not go to Washington to kiss Trump's arse, yet Trump is already removing his added tariffs on laptops and electronic equipment from China and everyone else. The world should take the same stand against the USA bully and not cave in, taking the cue from China. The USA needs China and the rest of the world more than what the world needs from USA. The US$ is toxic and the world does not need a weaponized currency that could be used against them next.

Trump himself will cave in when reality hits, like the pressure from USA companies hitting him like a bolt of lightning to wake him up now. Many companies will face bankruptcy operating in China and USA and needing Chinese parts and raw materials to make their products. Any increase in tariffs by doubling their price is insane. So, will it be spun into so much winning already that Trump is very generous to grant relief to China? Or should we say that Trump is now caving in to China as many have been saying.

I am waiting to hear who among the 50 touted to be queuing up to kiss Trump's arse are going to do it, besides Taiwan. Is Taiwan representing the 50 touted so far, just like the two thousand surveyed in ASEAN as representing all the more than 600 million in ASEAN who wants the USA to be around ASEAN instead of China.

It will also be interesting to see how the negotiations are to be conducted with the Penguins and seals on a remote island, if they are also among the 50 countries waiting to kiss Trump's arse. The USA will probably need Penguin from the Batman movie to come out to do the negotiating, LOL.

I think the 'kiss my arse' comment is putting countries off, not to be seen as dogs kissing their master's bottom or even licking it. Some are probably ashamed to be designated as arse kissers and being humiliated like animals.

Anonymous

Chinese manufacturers advising Americans to buy direct from their factories

 Chinese manufacturers are now going on Tik Tok advising consumers to bypass the importers and retailers in the USA and ordering direct from factories in China at factory prices. Wonder how this will work out, cutting out the middlemen, the ones that are making the most profit by gouging besides the brand owners.

The Chinese manufacturing sector is now exposing the wide scam about demonizing Chinese products as junk, and are educating consumers that the products they thought were made in Italy or USA were actually not the truth, when the reality is that they were all made in China just without labels stitched on, sent to Italy or USA factories, stuck with their logo and passed on as being made in Italy or USA. More than 80% of Chinese manufacturers are doing that on behalf of top end global names.

Wonder how consumers are going to react.

Anonymous

American good life will collapse without China

 The daft Americans are still spreading lies about American trade deficit with China. These congenital liars chose to pick on specific items to demonise China without wanting to tell the whole picture of how the Americans are benefitting from its trade with China and even the trade deficit in goods is to the advantage of the Americans. Other than trade deficit in goods, America has trade surplus in selling goods and services to China which they intentionally sought not to talk about it. Neither would it disclose that the trade deficit in goods included the goods reimported to America by American companies in China.

The Trump regime intentionally chose not to look at the whole picture, mischievous misrepresented only a part of the overall trade with China and the world. Capitalism is all about maximising profits by taking advantage of comparative advantage and maximising on lower cost of production. The Americans may appear to lose out in one sector, to one country, but making up from other sectors and other countries. Not to forget, the trade deficit is all paid in monopoly money that the Americans could print unlimited.

The $450 billion imports from China are not rubbish but essential and necessary goods, parts and components that the Americans and American businesses need, to make life better with cheaper and better quality goods and to keep American factories running with lower cost parts and components from China.

Assuming that the Americans cut off completely the $450 billion imports from China, the Americans must get the goods, parts and components from other sources. The Americans must find the suppliers that can produce the same quantity and quality of goods, parts and components that they stop importing from China. Very likely the rest of the world would not be able to provide the same goods, parts and components to America, and the American people and manufacturers would take a direct hit for the breakdown of these supply chains.

The daft and devious Americans refused to acknowledge that the $450 billion imports were extremely beneficial and needed by Americans and American manufacturers, cannot be replaced. Without China, they would have to pay more for everything and may not even get them.

It is good that this tariff war is on and let the daft and slimy Americans experience a world without China to satisfy their needs at the lowest prices. When trade is totally decoupled, the quality of life of the Americans would suffer a heavy blow, unable to find the goods they need, unable to pay for them at the price China used to bill them. The rest of the world combined would not be able to do what China is doing for the Americans.

Good luck, dumb hillbillies.

When elephants fight, the mousedeer thrives

 SINGAPORE: There is a Malay and Indonesian saying that “when elephants fight, the mousedeer in the middle dies”.

With geopolitical tensions between the United States and China escalating sharply last week, Singapore as the mousedeer between the American and Chinese elephants will need to be especially nimble to survive....

Today, China is the focus. The anti-China narrative is stoked by uninformed and tendentious reporting by Anglophone media. It is no surprise that China is seen as an enemy by Americans.  

In the US-China conflict, much has been made of the Thucydides Trap, which holds that a rising power and an incumbent power must clash.

To characterise China as a rising power is mistaken. It is a returning power. The psychology is different. Misdiagnosing the problem risks exacerbating it. That misdiagnosis is a result of historical ignorance.

The above is from an article in CNA titled 'Commentary: Singapore, the mousedeer in the middle as US-China hostilities deepen' by Professor Walter Woon, Singapore’s Ambassador to Germany, the European Union, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and the Vatican between 1998 and 2006.

Traditionally, the poor mousedeer risked being trampled and crushed by the two elephants. Today's realpolitik offers the mousedeer a better chance to survive and even coming out better because China is there to provide better alternatives and options for the mousedeer. China not only is able to stand in the way of the ravaging American beast, China, being the world's biggest factory, can sell to the rest of the world all the goods and services, better and cheaper, that the world needs. The world does not need to be held hostage by the American beast when they can buy everything from China.

This tariff war started by the unthinking Trump regime is going to hurt the Americans many times more than the rest of the world and likely to bring about a faster collapse of the American economy and Empire. The poor American consumers are now forced by the authoritarian regime to buy goods from China and the world at very high prices which Trump lied, that the tariffs would be paid by China and the sellers.

On the other hand, China would now have huge advantage to sell everything to the rest of the world at lower or no tariffs prices, to benefit the whole world. This dimwit Trump is a menace not only to the world but also to the Americans. Good luck to the hillbillies.

The second point mentioned by Prof Woon on the US China conflict and the western interpretation of the Thucydides Trap is flawed from China's perspective but very real to the white savages with a DNA for wars and conquest. As pointed out by Prof Woon, the Chinese psychology and perception of the world are very different, a result of historical ignorance by the white men. Just because they were savages, does not mean that Chinese are savages. They can lie and lie to demonise China, but historically, China has no ambition of conquering or colonising any country. Or else, the Philippines would have been a part of China. It was the white savages that ravages the whole world and still doing so, committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Gaza.

But the unthinking Anglophiles would simply believe and take the white men's view that China would be like the white savages as the truth. Where is the evidence? The white men may lie and fabricate false evidence to demonise China ... the daft Anglophiles need to wake up and think and look at reality. China does not have ambition to be a world hegemon and is pushing for a multipolar world. China has studied the falls of Empires and know how futile such an aggressive adventure is and has openly said that China would NOT be a hegemon to bully the world.

The mousedeer is likely to survive this reckless tariff war and comes out better off, provided they did not choose to become cannon fodder for the American terrorists. This crisis is providing the world a great opportunity to reset and establish a new world order for the good of the Global South. The BRICS countries have its role cut out to be the alternative to the American controlled post war organisations that are now defunct and irrelevant.

China is well prepared to take on the once in 4 years Washington clowns

 China must continue to develop its domestic demand, which is very important move in the face of external threats, which may come at any time. Trump's tariffs are one example of such external threat that China must keep planning to overcome and not wait for the event to take place before it happens. Thankfully, China is ready this time and already well prepared for it.

Having said that, China is also doing right in upgrading and increasing its military spending. Just treat those howling and fabrication by others regarding China's increase military budget and consider them as mere irritants or noises. China's action is for its own protection which it needs, not to cater to what others wants to force China to do to suit their agenda. Whatever military alliances China is forging has no basis for others to complain about. Not with Russia, not with ASEAN, not with the Pacific Islands. Chinese Defense Minister, Dong Jun, is visiting Vietnam to enhance defense ties further, his second visit so far.

The USA and the West can keep speculating and downsizing China's weapon system developments, fighter jets and aircraft carriers, calling them junks. If they are junks, why bother with them, am I right? Without the usual spying ability resulting from China's cutting off Western spying with its 5G and dismantling of Western loopholes using Western apps, the West is now using speculation when talking about Chinese fighter jets and aircraft carriers, by just using satellite images to cull their information.

Anonymous

Trump has forgotten to take his medicine for screw loose

 Quack Dr Trump is now prescribing medicine for the world with his tariffs cure. Too bad, China is not taking the medicine he prescribed which is making Dr. Trump furious and may Dr Quack may need to take his own mental health prescriptions soon.

Trump even failed to force little Mexico to pay for his wall and sheepishly he had to find ways to pay for it, with USA taxpayers footing the bill eventually.

Trump is now seen failing to end the Ukraine War as well, despite his huge boasting about ending it within 24 hours, despite having to kiss Putin's arse. There was a funny cartoon of Trump on all fours kissing Putin's arse this morning. I couldn't find it trying to go back to it. That is another big stab into his ego, and he is using the tariff war to divert global attention. When his tariff plans to destroy China fails, which it will, war with China is his next diversion. Now India is taking up the USA cue with conflict with China escalating. What about Japan igniting the call to have a NATO Asia to counter China? Everything points to the USA intent on taking on China at all costs.

Now, let us not imagine that China is just sitting around and twiddling its thumb in the face of all these provocations. China saw what is coming and is not following Nero fiddling while Rome burns. China is ready for any war with the USA, which shows the confidence that China has today.

Anonymous

Don Trump, the mafia godfather, wants people to beg him and he decides 3/7, 4/6 or whatever in his favour

 Vietnam's offer of reciprocal zero tariffs between them and USA is not going to work and will fail miserably. It is no point for Vietnam to kiss Trump's arse, knowing that Vietnam is basically an extension of China's manufacturing reach outside the mainland. To agree to a zero tariff defeats all the purpose of those tariffs, whose main objective is countering China and its investment worldwide.

Mexico is also not going to succeed in negotiations with the USA over tariffs. Trump is now raising another issue to cloud the negotiations, claiming that Mexico is not supplying enough water from the Rio Grande to USA farmers under an agreement, and he will not compromise on his tariff threat if water supply by Mexico is not according to the agreed level. This is all knowing that China has big investments in Mexico which Trump is targeting.

All the talk about countries negotiating with the USA are basically nothing more than going to see these countries getting insulted while masquerading as negotiating, with the USA making all the talking and demands and stuffing them down the throats of the arse lickers. Trump will ask them 'Does my arse smell nice and 'kiss baby kiss' LOL. How many countries does not have any Chinese investments that could therefore escape the tariffs?

Anonymous

TikTok - China cannot capitulate under coercion

  What would become of China if it were to sell its national asset, TikTok, when forced to by the Americans? A superpower on par and better than the Americans in many aspects, cannot be seen to be a weakling, to crumble under external pressure. It would be a big blow to Xi as the President of China to be cowed into submission to sell a national asset, the pride of Chinese innovation, against its interests and will.

Losing TikTok to the Americans under such circumstances is as good as losing a piece of Chinese territory in a war, a trade war. This is completely unacceptable. National assets and territory are not negotiable and not for sale. 

Trump and his gangsters must as well forget about their forceful takeover of TikTok. The whole deal is now so sour, no longer a commercial transaction, but a political issue, to rob China of its prized asset by force.

TikTok would forever be in the hands of China and Chinese companies. Period. And this would apply to other Chinese big name companies like Huawei, DJI, BYD etc etc. The war with the Americans is now an open war though undeclared. It is de facto war on all fronts. The decoupling of the two economies would be complete. China now has no fear of tariffs or sanctions, have no delusion that it can still do business with the Americans. Any business between the two states is likely to be done through third parties. All investments in both countries are likely to cease, and all existing businesses is likely to be downgraded and curtailed.

China would now have no apprehension on what it wants to do with its national and international policies. This clean break would allow China to act independently without having to consider how the Americans would react or respond. It is a step closer to open hostility and war. China will now execute all its plans to reclaim all the islands in the South China Sea and the reunification of Taiwan in double speed.

What is there to hold back when all the fictitious and fake negotiations with the American terrorists are no longer needed, and China only needs to strengthen its military for an open war with the Americans? China will now fight this war to the end. In 1950, China was so weak and poor, coming out from the ruins of destruction by the Japanese invasion and civil war. Mao was strong and determine to fight the Americans to the end in the Korean War. 

China today is as strong and, in many fields, stronger than the Americans. If a weak and poor China could defeat the Americans and 18 crony states in 1950, China today can take on the Americans and its crony states and still win with hands down. The ignorant hillbillies in Washington can still daydream and lie to themselves, and believing how strong the Americans are, but did not know that America is history today.

Raising defence budget against who?

   America's 2025 defence budget is more than $895 billion. This sum is more than the budget of the next 10 countries combined. It is a budget for the American Empire to rule the world and also to start and fight wars everywhere. It is not a defensive budget. It is a war budget, the budget of a terrorist state. No country in the world is a threat to the American Empire. No country can threaten the American Empire.

But the Americans are hyping about threats from China, from Russia, Iran, North Korea etc etc. These are all American lies to not only the people of the world, but also to the American citizens. Without these lies, the American people would be asking question for such a huge budget. The Washington clowns and the Deep State need to justify for such a huge budget to feed the whole food chain of vultures. They need enemies, they need wars to feed themselves, to enrich themselves.

Trump is now demanding all the American colonies and crony states to raise their defence budget. For what, against who? Where is the threat coming from? The two strawmen are China and Russia. China is going to invade and conquer the world, including conquering America. The Russians are going to invade and conquer Europe. Really? The outcome of raising defence budgets by American crony states means buying more American weapons, making the American war industries richer and to control and rule over them.

Throughout China's history, China was never a colonial or imperial power. On the contrary, China was a victim of white imperialism and colonialism and oppressed for the last 150 years, isolated and reduced to one of the poorest nations on earth by the white men. Russia too was a victim of western European powers, invaded many times while Russia did not invade western Europe. Russia even abandoned the Warsaw Pact countries and dissolved the Soviet Union for peace. Today, Russia still owns the biggest land mass in the whole world but with a relatively small population. Russia does not need to expand to conquer more land. It has more land for its people.

The only countries that had invaded and conquered and ruled over other countries are the European states. And today, the AngloSaxon states of USA, UK and Australia, are still colonial powers, and coveting the lands of other countries. Trump blatantly declared to the world that he wanted to grab Greenland, Gaza, Panama, Canada and Mexico. UK is still eyeing the destruction of Russia while Australia still acts as the overlord of the South Pacific, lording over the Pacific Islanders.

And there is also Israel, planning and scheming to eat up Palestine and all the Middle Eastern states with the backing of the Americans. If there is a need to increase military budget for any country, it is against the terrrorist states of US, UK and Israel. While Trump is demanding countries to increase their defence budget, Trump did not ask Israel to do so. Trump may be cutting military aids to its colonies, allies and crony states, it is not demanding Israel to do so, and in fact keeps pouring more weapons into Israel. Demanding American colonies, allies and crony states to increase defence expenditure is a hoax, a lie against fictitious threat. If any, the threat is from the Americans, Brits and Israelis.

But what is real is that the increase military spending would mean sales of more American weapons, to feed the American Military Industrial Complex. There is no need to raise military expenditure if there is no American Empire threatening them. The rest of the world are not talking about war or invading other countries. Only USA, UK and Israel are talking about it every day and starting wars every day to want to rule over other countries. They are the real threats to the world.

Dimwit Trump cannot think further than tormorrow

 Too fast a move by BRICS is also not advisable, as it will lead too much chaos in the financial system. A gradual expansion is more preferable with BRICS inter country trade in local currencies expanding confidently.

China did not rise suddenly. It was a plan carefully devised over several decades - deciding on the direction, securing the resources, training the manpower, looking and securing food and energy security or building them up and diversifying its needs widely not to be held hostage by any country. And it worked beautifully.

Those that tout about bringing back manufacturing at the snap of a finger are just puffing hot air, without doing the basic planning and just plucking imaginary fruits from mid-air. What has been done to train skilled workers? Besides threats being made, the ground has not even been broken to build a single pillar to show by those would be investors that things are indeed already moving and not just gloating. Trump is just farting hot air waiting for some unwary investor to take the bait and take the plunge. Even Apple is not taking the bait, knowing that producing iPhones in the USA is going to cost such phones to be sold at double the price as those made in China and unsellable. And bear in mind that Apple is not making phones to sell in the USA alone. It is selling them around the world and is facing stiff competition already from Chinese phone makers.

Anonymous

Trump's low intellect allows him only to think like a gambler, open card, win or lose. That is all he can think about.

 There is also another fiasco being floated by Trump about imposing a US$1.5 million levy per call against ships built in China calling at USA controlled ports, or a US$500 thousand levy per call on any shipowner having any ship in its fleet built in China calling at any USA controlled ports.

Trump does not think it necessary for the USA to start building ships first before starting to fire his salvo. That will probably take five to ten years to be easible, considering the education and training needed to build ships and he knows he will no longer be around. Trump thinks that just firing pot shots will hit the Chinese target anyway.

The whole idea is just trying to pull a hocus pocus against China without considering that the USA does not build commercial ships anymore and does not have the capacity to build ships of the numbers that the world needs. There is not a shipowner in the world without a Chinese built ship in its fleet today.

For a start if the levy plan is implemented, shipowners having Chinese built ships in their fleet will avoid calling at more ports in the USA and instead unloading at one port instead of three and leaving importers to foot the bill for land transport for the goods they bought. This is going to be a massive added cost for USA importers and eventually passed on to consumers. Who is going to suffer more?

The Trump administration basically does not consider the consequences of its actions, only plucking ideas from the air and expecting them to work. For Trump, everything is so simple and easy. Just do it and if it does not work, just do a U-turn and nobody gets blamed. And indeed, even the security leaks have yet to be blamed on someone with Trump calling it just a glitch. Why is National Security so much less important for the USA when it was the rage in the past, blaming China over every item as a security threat?

Anonymous

Trump angry Xi not respecting him but gloating other leaders had to kiss his arse

 Trump is upping his tariffs to 145% on Chinese exports to the USA, claiming that China does not give him respect. What respect is he expecting given his gangster stance and bullying tactics? As they say, respect must be earned and not through use of force or coercion.

Trump wants to force China to respect him by having Xi fly to Washington to negotiate and for him to gloat about China having to kiss his arse too. That China is not bending to his gloating about having to go to Washington soon to pay him due respect is and is making him lose face. Trump should realize that for Xi to refuse his invitation to attend his inauguration is reason enough not to expect Xi to crumble. Other countries can go ahead to kiss Trump's arse and be ridiculed with insults being added to injury. China is not going do that and will fight fire with fire till the end. There is no turning back.

China is just waiting to witness the result of the 145% tariffs and how it will affect USA consumers months down the road after the stockpiles are exhausted, before taking further action. Analyst are saying that there are only two outcomes resulting from those tariffs on China - either the importers absorb the tariffs, which is impossible, or pass them on to consumers, with the latter action being more realistic. That is going to be disastrous, with prices doubling on everything.

China has many cards to play with. In the meantime, Chinese exporters are already looking for new markets to replace the USA, with Bangladesh a good example.

As I said earlier, all the tariffs are just for one purpose on the surface, and that is to punish China and Trump is using that counter for a more insidious agenda. What happens to the rest of the world are just collateral damage for hosting Chinese investments. What is most striking is that Apple has come out publicly to announce that the company will not be making iPhones in the USA. In other words, Apple moving back to USA is not going to happen. That is just Apple, a USA company itself, looking at the prospect of making things in the USA and says a lot about manufacturing moving back to the USA. What about others?

Having said that, some are beginning to see the insidious hand of Trump manipulating the stock market with his actions to benefit the rich and his cronies. His back-and-forth rhetoric and his 90-day tariff pause are just to give him more leverage to cause further turmoil in the stock market for his cronies to make more money.

Anonymous

India is going to be surrounded by all enemies soon.

 India is going to be surrounded by all enemies soon

After the comments by Mohammad Yunus during his visit to Beijing, about the seven sisters being landlocked and the benefits of being under China, the Indians are raving mad and warning Yunus not to create unnecessary trouble. In retaliation, India is cutting off Bangladesh trade links with Nepal and Bhutan, that needs to go through Indian territory.

Now, this is a dumb move as trade between Bangladesh with Nepal and Bhutan is only about US$26 million and declining. What is more detrimental to India is indirectly punishing Nepal and Bhutan, with Nepal already unhappy with the bullying by India and turning to China. And the stupid Indians are making a song and dance about it.

Moreover, China is now sending a trade mission to Bangladesh in May, with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao leading a 200-strong business delegation to talk about investments in Bangladesh. That is how fast China is moving and ready to fill the void. More than a US$150 million worth of agreements have already been signed with more to come after the visit.

Apart from this, Pakistan is also closing ranks with Bangladesh in defense alliance, and this is causing distress in India. Pakistan is supplying weapons to Bangladesh and with the Chinese behind, India is in serious trouble. India's days of bullying Bangladesh, like the USA bullying others, are over.

Anonymous

MSN survey - Trust in the USA in Asean hits rock bottom in Asean

 While Channel News America continues to broadcast fake positive about the Americans, the truth cannot escape even the casual observers that trust and goodwill for the Americans have fallen into the gutters. The irrational and thoughtless attack by the rogue authoritarian regime in Washington is like the straw that broke the camel's back. All the lies and fake news about how great the Americans were, decades of goodwill, Americans are peace loving people, have all vanished overnight. No one is believing in the American lies and fake news. The truth facing the world and the people in Asean is too stark and only the dullest and thickest would still be playing the jaded tune of American Pie.

The reckless tariff attack against the whole world said it very clear. The authoritarian regime is run by a bunch of empty head lunatics that think they are the rulers of the world and wanting to rule the world like a bunch of gangsters applying gangster rules and tactics. Trump openly admitted that he expects world leaders to come crawling to him to kiss his arse. This is not the kind of statement made by a decent leader but by an uncouth, uneducated rogue.

What is worse and only the blind believers would not want to see is the daily genocide happening in Gaza, conducted by the Israelis on behalf of the American terrorists. The American media, all the Channel News America conveniently refused to report on the tragedy and barbarity inflicted by the Americans, the Brits and the Jews on the Arab and Muslim people in Gaza. No condemnation, but condemning fake and fabricated lies about non existing genocide in Xinjiang.

In view of all these developments, MSN conducted a survey and found that the fake popularity and goodwill for the Americans have dwindled to rock bottom. Everyone is affected by the reckless tariff war, everyone is grimacing at the cruelties of the American terrorists and Jews against the Palestinians, and not stopping, no breaks, but daily massacre of Palestinians while war criminal Netanyahu was kissing with Trump in the White House. There is no more goodwill left for the evil Americans. No more lies by the American propaganda machine can change the perception of Asean people against the American terrorists. The Asean people are looking to China as a ray of hope for peace and development, not war and destruction. No Asean country wants to invite gangster Trump and to be seen as kissing his arse. The evil Americans are the most hated people in Asean and in the world.

While Trump and his headless gangsters are panicking and watching the stock indices daily, every hour, every minute, hoping and praying that they would not collapse, Xi Jinping is on a tour to three Asean countries to promote trade and development. Nothing about wars and genocides. This is the real China, a peaceful world power seeking peaceful trade and development, versus the rogues running the authoritative regime in Washington, peddling wars everyday and everywhere, conducting wars and genocides and fabricating lies that they are the most loved people, they are for peace.

The MSN survey exposed the American lies for good, exposed the lies of all the Channel News America to demonise China and gold plating the evil American terrorists as the good guys. No more lies, no more fake surveys. Evilness cannot be disguised as goodness by the mass media. The people in Asean are not stupid. They have eyes to see, ears to hear. Only Satan worshippers are still believing in the evil Americans.

PS. MSN is MySingaporeNews.

39 minutes interview with Joseph Stiglitz, renowned economist on how the Americans are shooting themselves in the foot and losing all respect from the world...destroying their own institutions, world institutions, rules of law etc etc

Taiwan is NOT a dangerous flash point

 The Americans and the West have been fabricating the lie that Taiwan is the most dangerous place in the world, an imminent flash point for a world war. This is most misleading and fear mongering. Taiwan is not a flash point and would not be a flash point to start a major war. There will not be any war to reunify Taiwan. The Chinese do not want to kill their brothers and sisters in Taiwan. The Taiwanese would not want to die fighting the mainland Chinese. They know that this is not a fight they can win, not a fight for survival. The call for independence may be sexy but is only a dream, and when the time comes, they would say it is better to face reality and stay alive.

China has never been in such a comfortable position to fight a set piece war. Taiwan is not just a Dien Bien Phu. Taiwan is totally transparent to China and allowing China to plan for every move it needs to take to the finest details at its own time. The geography, the military bases, the military personnel, the equipment and weapons in every little corner of Taiwan are clear to Chinese military planners. And China has not only all the manpower, firepower, weapons and logistics to take care of everything if it is needed to take over Taiwan by force. China knows every one of the military commanders and officers. China has all the time in the world to prepare, plan and to execute to reunify Taiwan on its own terms. The initiative to act is with China.

Every thinking Taiwanese knows what they are up to and when to wake up from his wet dream. Every military officer and soldier know when to fight and when not to fight. The odds are overwhelming and there is really no fight, futile to fight against the PLA. When China announces it's time to take back Taiwan, the military officers would be the first to welcome them. Not only that, but they would also be the first to arrest all the DPP traitors themselves. The few hundred thousand Taiwan military officers and soldiers cannot be made a fool off by the few DPP traitors, telling them to fight and die for their personal interests and glory. They cannot be so stupid. Arresting the DPP traitors is a piece of cake. They have no loyalty or respect for Lai Ching Te and his gang. Lai is no Chiang Kai Shek, he is a nobody to the military commanders. He is like the clown Zelensky. They would turn him in when the time comes.

What is happening now in Taiwan is just a wayang, a shadow play. No one is really serious in their roles and believing that Taiwan can break away from the motherland. Even the DPP leaders are watching their watches and backs all the time, when to scoot at the slightest indication of danger. They do not believe they can hold on a minute longer or stay a minute longer when China decides to march in. And none of them can escape, unless they do it now. All the exit points would be sealed. It would be over in minutes. There will be no war, not a single bullet would be fired by both sides. The Taiwan military commanders know that nothing would change, they would still be military commanders commanding their units and men. It is not a war to terminate the enemies. They are not enemies but Chinese on the island of Taiwan.

Japan would not dare to interfere in this reunification though they would like to do. Japan must not give China and Russia an excuse to wipe out the Japanese in one swipe. Both China and Russia have historical reasons to want to wipe out the Japanese. And Japan's interference in the reunification would be the best reason to do it. All the big cities in Japan, eg Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka etc, and the huge population could turn into smokes. The Japanese cannot afford such disasters.

South Korea too would not be in a position to meddle with Taiwan. China would just support North Korea to reunify both Koreas if the South Koreans dare to misbehave. Only the brainless Mickey Mouse in the Philippines would be thoughtless enough to behave like Zelensky and the Ukrainians. 

There would be a peaceful reunification, just a formality of exchanges. The PRC flags would be flown in every military base and govt office and there will be a big celebration across the island for the return of Taiwan to China. China will notify all the military commanders through their mobile phones when the PLA is coming over. They will be told not to move, not to act, not to fire and everyone will be safe. Just stay where they are, and it will be over very fast. Open fire means guaranteed death and destruction. Not doing anything means everything would be the same, continue to live and be military commanders. The choice is obvious.

The Americans would not be surprised as they too know that reunification is inevitable and a matter of time. The Chinese people on both sides of the straits are not stupid to want to fight and die for the Americans or for the DPP traitors. No Taiwanese would want to die like the stupid Ukrainians when they can continue to live their lives and improve their lives after reunification.

White House trade hawks like Scott Bessent and Peter Navarro are still spinning make beliefs about tariff war

 Up to now, the advisors of Trump in the White House, trade hawks like Scott Bessent and Peter Navarro are still claiming that China is still highly dependent on the USA market for its exports and the USA does not depend on the Chinese market, and therefore the USA has the upper hand in any negotiating with China.

These advisors forget that China has the rest of the world market to sell to, while the USA is boxed up selling expensive weapons and no consumer goods to the rest of the world. Yet they are gloating about producing the stuff needed by USA consumers, by luring manufacturing back to the USA and creating jobs in the process, just conjuring up make believe from thin air.

When USA is clearly buying more from China, can the USA be said to be less dependent on China, while China buying less from the USA is deemed to be more dependent on the USA? From this, we can see who depends more on the other. Scott Bessant appears extremely nervous trying to carve out a solid explanation of the warp thinking in a situation that is clearly not to the USA's advantage, claiming that a country in deficit is holding the upper hand while the one in surplus is holding a weaker position. For a person touted to be highly intelligent and experience trying to sell such an argument just boggles the mind.

Right now, every sycophant advisor catering to Trump's tariff war is spouting what Sean Foo calls 'voodoo economics', devoid of reason and just clutching at straws to support their arguments. In ancient China, when eunuchs gave false advice to the emperor to appease and gain merit from the emperor, it often leads to disaster. It is happening in the USA now.

China exported US$500 billion worth of goods to the USA, or about 2.9% of its GDP, which is growing at 5% per annum. Will that 2.9% loss lead to the collapse of China? Bear in mind that some of the US$500 billion exports to USA are generated by USA companies manufacturing in China as well. Apple and Tesla are examples, and they will suffer too.

Anonymous

USA does manufacture one item exceptionally well - lies

 USA does manufacture one item exceptionally well - lies. No one can do this so well with the MSM supporting the spreading of such lies. And pouring money for the specific purpose of generating lies takes the cake - all US$300 million a year for that. One perfect example was the Iraq War, based on nothing but fabricated lies. And the whole world fell for it at the UN. Photographs of trucks carrying steel pipes, chemical Ali making chemical weapons at a milk powder factory (LOL), and Colin Powell even exhibiting a vial of a chemical weapon in his hands at the UN, with all the delegates sitting around were all over the MSM.

Even the Vietnam war was based on well fabricated lies, using the domino effect that if South Vietnam falls, the whole of South-East Asia goes with it. South Vietnam did fall, but what the USA gloated about never happened.

And who can forget the Afghanistan War, using terrorism and Osama bin Laden as scapegoats. After killing Osama bin laden, which basically means the war on terrorism is over, the USA chose to remain in Afghanistan after Osama's death in 2011. The USA only fled Afghanistan in 2021 in a hurry, after much harassment by the Taliban.

Now more lies are being manufactured against China using the South China Sea issues, demonizing China's manufacturing domination, raising the China threat over the Panama Canal, Greenland, the Artic Sea route, fabricating the debt trap mantra against China's BRI. You name it, the USA will be able to generate the lies to fit the narrative.

The USA is not called the 'Empire of Lies' for nothing.

Anonymous

African states standing up to the American terrorists

 Trump is adding insult to injury, claiming countries are going to have to kiss his arse. Are countries feeling ashamed in the face of such insults and still groveling at Trump's feet?

Small countries must wake up. The USA is not the only market for them as in the past. There is BRICS to fall back on and the Global South as well. Do not be fooled by the threats that only the USA can provide them a market. That is no longer the case.

Just look at Africa, going full throttle to get rid of the Imperialist Western colonizers. African leaders know the world is bigger than the USA or the Anglo-Saxon enclave. The rest of the world can still produce the same things, at the same costs, sell at the same price and making the same profits without the tariffs by just avoiding the USA market and build up their relations with others. The world has been brainwashed so thoroughly that some leaders are still sleeping under a rock.

I want to talk about Burkina Faso's leader, Ibrahim Traore, who declined the offer by Saudi Arabia to build 200 mosques in Burkina Faso. 'Thanks, but no thanks' he said, having seen the Arabs in the Middle East throwing the Palestinians to the wolves while talking about building mosques instead of helping the downtrodden. The Saudis are under the control of the USA, and any attempt to use the Saudis to sabotage Ibrahim Traore is not far from his thoughts. Traore is the new poster boy of Africa's rise to real independence from Western tyranny.

Anonymous

Houthis shot down 17 American Reaper drones and sank several American warships

 The USA has admitted it has failed to take out the Houthis. This news comes from anonymous sources inside the Pentagon itself, according to Dr. David Oualaalou. It seems the Houthis are not short of missiles and drones.

What has never been talked about regarding the war against the Houthis was the number of USA Reaper Drones shot down by the Houthis. According to Dr. Oualaalou, 17 such drones have been shot down so far. At the cheapest of US$30 million a pop, it is costly. What did the Houthis use to shoot them down is perplexing and the USA has no answer. The USA is starting to blame Iran for such effective weapons being used by the Houthis. Any attack on Iran is going to drag the Russians in, as Putin has already said that the Russians will step in if Iran is attacked. Will the USA and Israel take the bait?

The USA, despite its touted military might and aerial and weapons superiority, also failed in Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam when fighting against enemies using guerilla warfare tactics. When it comes to guerilla warfare, China is well versed in exploiting it. Besides Sun Tsu's Art of War, Mao Tse Tung formulated his own guerilla warfare tactics - 'When the enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue.' One mistake Mao made was not pursuing the Nationalist and wiping them out in Taiwan.

I think Mao's tactics that others learned, worked in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and is working for the Houthis against the USA. These countries do learn from Vietnam onwards, when even with half a million troops in Vietnam at its peak, on top of those from South Vietnam itself and allies, the USA could not carve out a victory. The USA has no answer when fighting countries using guerilla warfare and is terrified of getting sucked into another Afghanistan in Ukraine and Yemen. A nuclear war means no winners.

Anonymous

PS. Trump unintentionally exposed the sinking of warships by saying, 'they would not sink any more American warships'.

Lunatic Trump is punishing everyone, friends or foes, allies, American citizens and leaders of the world and more

 Lunatic Trump is as good as bankrupting everyone including all the billionaires that supported him. Musk has lost hundreds of billions, and his Tesla empire is collapsing. The tech billionaires are also losing hundreds of billions. And trillions have been wiped off from the American investors in the stock market. Trump himself lost $500 millions in a week.

That is not all. European allies, colonies like Japan and South Korea were also hit and in fear of their economies collapsing. Countries around the world were also hit badly but more insulting is rogue Trump denigrating their leaders, calling them arse kissers, all queuing to kiss his arse. How many of these leaders are doing that or would dare to go to Washington and be seen as being there to kiss Trump's arse? This is very rude, uncouth and unbecoming of a state leader. The Americans proudly and officially insulted Lai Ching Te by announcing that Taiwan is the first country to go to Washington to kiss his arse.

The most impactful consequences of Trump's tariff war are the American farmers and American people. Their hardwork, their produces are as good as being shut out from the Chinese markets. Many will go broke, bankrupt because of this lunatic they voted into power. Then there are the average Americans living from paycheck to paycheck. How are they going to pay for essential items that would now cost double of what they used to pay? A dozen eggs cost US$6 or 50c a piece. In Singapore, a dozen large eggs cost S$3.40 or less than US$2. These average Americans could barely make ends meet but are forced to cough out another $5000 a year to pay for more expensive basic needs. Where are they going to find the money? This crazy tariff war is not going away tomorrow.

The plight of the average Americans is just beginning. Not only that prices would be more than double, but many goods would no longer be available, especially the good and affordable stuff coming from China. The $145 billion exports to China would freeze up. The $450 billion imported goods would not come in to fill the shelves of supermarts and stores. Dump Walmart still thinks it can squeeze the Chinese sellers to lower their prices! What a joke. The average American blokes, the hillbillies, will be the hardest hit. Trump is as good as halving the value of their money, that they can only buy half of everything from the same money they have.

With many businesses going broke, Tesla is cutting jobs and cutting production, many supporting businesses would also be affected. Farmers going broke, workers losing jobs and going broke, the average American unable to feed themselves, the billionaires losing hundreds of billions, and lunatic Trump still gloating how successful is his tariff war, while the whole world turning against the American terrorists, ... is Trump making America great again or making the Americans to suffer from his lunacy?

Trump needs not feel bad about it. Some silly asses in Asean, especially those in the media and fake academics are still rooting for the Americans claiming that they trust the Americans more than China when China did not do anything against anyone. The American lies that China is stealing their jobs and cheating America are only believeable to the dullest and most thick headed hillbillies and Asean believers of white supremacy. All the American big businesses and corporations voluntarily moved to China to take advantage of China's cheap labour and cheap cost of production and made huge bucks. China did not put a gun on their heads, China is unable to do that. Still, unthinking hillbillies and silly American newscasters like Fox, CNN etc etc are selling these lies to dupe the unthinking hillbillies that will have to pay dearly for believing in their lies and the lies of lunatic Trump.

Trump is on fentanyl. The feel good effect will go off very quickly

 China's decoupling from the USA is no longer a choice but a necessity, in order to avoid continued bullying by the USA. Enough is enough and the USA is not the only market for Chinese products. Just losing a little in the short term and reaping the benefits over the longer term is what we call patience.

China is not that short sighted in looking at developments and where it will lead to. Five thousand years of history, civil wars, uprising, floods, earthquakes, foreign subterfuge and coping with the rise and fall of dynasties did not disintegrate China. What is a little trade war? The Chinese people have gone through more serious hardships for centuries and being humiliated before and will not bow down to bullying.

China must dig in, tit for tat in tariff hiking. The Chinese Government's response had been calculated not to affect citizen's cost of living too radically. Looking for alternatives and getting hold of them first is very important. Trying to act tough without getting the base ready is a big mistake. Moreover, Chinese citizens no longer depend largely on expensive imports from the USA, whether in agricultural produce, EVs and batteries, essential minerals, cheap energy and availability of enormous amount of steel and aluminum. In fact, deflation has long been considered a problem for China by the West, and a little inflation is not going to hurt them that radically. I would, feeling ashamed to say this with no clout, tell the Chinese to 'hang tough' and fight the bully.

The whole Global South is thankful that China is exporting deflation with cheap products, while the USA is exporting inflation with its money printing. The USA wants the whole world to continue to fund its deficit spending, and to support its uncompetitive industries and even being forced to buy its expensive products. That has to end.

As I said before, China is blessed with a huge consumer market and a powerful industrial base. Domestic consumption is a factor that is keeping China chugging along. Those tariffs are hurting USA investments all over the world, and China knows that for a fact. The tariffs hurt not only Chinese manufacturers, but allies and USA companies overseas exporting to the USA, which may force them to relocate back to the USA. But what about being able to compete on markets outside the USA? Why isn't Apple moving back to USA instead of looking towards India for example?

Anonymous

Americans paying for voting a conman and convict to be their President

 With Elon Musk's running of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) going out of favor with USA voters and even fueling widespread protests, what is Trump going to do? Moving DOGE forward with job cutting measures is being met with unrests, more joblessness, more homeless people without jobs and putting pressure on wages in the private sector. That is a bonus for business owners and the super-rich, who are already going to benefit from Trump's tax cuts for them. The USA voters who supported Trump are going to be also just collateral damage, so 'just hang tough' in there and let Donny Make American Great Again standing on their backs and shouting.

But finding US$4 trillion to fund the tax cuts is not that easy, even with DOGE doing due diligence, even touted to be targeting Congressmen and women. That is sure to ignite fire and fury.

One item I am very interested in seeing happen is Elon Musk doing an audit of the gold in 'Fort Knox'. But the truth can be suppressed in the context of the 'Empire of Lies'. Nothing is beyond suppression through lying.

Talking about gold in Fort Knox, Germany is now asking the USA to return the gold it placed with the USA for showing its confidence in the credibility of the USA in the past. Why is Germany now having second thoughts about its gold held by the USA? Will Germany get its gold back? If the USA refused to comply, it is going to send a signal to others that their gold is also no longer there. This is going to be interesting.

Anonymous