And there goes the neighborhood.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-officially-declares-that-hong-kong-is-no-longer-autonomous-11590596133?mod=hp_lead_pos2

HuMcK said:

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Absolutely the right call. I keep coming back to this, but right about now an up-and-running TPP would have been pretty dang nice to have as leverage in all of this. That said, China is going to do what they want to Hong Kong whether we like it or not. Hopefully we punish them for it if/when it happens.

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You're right. Pompeo is right.

But I feel sick about it. I wouldn't want to live under the control of the Chinese government. I fear for the Hong Kong residents who have vigorously resisted Beijing.

D. C. Bear said:

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Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

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Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

Doc Holliday said:

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Free trade?

We had unfair trade.

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We did not. We have an outdated measure of trade imbalance.

Trade is measured by the value of finished item imported. It assumes the value of the raw material plus the cost of the enhancement in the imbalance. (As if the foreign nation made the gorilla glass, the micro processor or the auto part).

A better measure would be the value of the FG minus the raw material. In effect we should measure the enhancement. So when I buy a $1000 iphone that's not all money to China. At least half of that goes to intel or Corning.

Used to be when I bought from you, you supplied 100% of the labor and raw materials. Today, with longer and more complex supply chains, parts come from multiple continents and travel through multiple countries until complete.

Quote:

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Hongkongers' first choice would be to stay in their homes and enjoy the autonomy they were promised. But the US can't really deliver that outcome to them, and failing that, many of them would enjoy the opportunity to build a new life in the United States.

An influx of skilled migrants from Hong Kong would benefit many American communities. The specter of tens of thousands of people fleeing Chinese rule for American shores would be a tremendous propaganda victory for the United States. And pulling it off would be a proof of concept for what should be a key tool in Sino-American competition that huge numbers of foreigners may welcome the opportunity to move to the US.

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jupiter said:

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Quote:

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Hongkongers' first choice would be to stay in their homes and enjoy the autonomy they were promised. But the US can't really deliver that outcome to them, and failing that, many of them would enjoy the opportunity to build a new life in the United States.

An influx of skilled migrants from Hong Kong would benefit many American communities. The specter of tens of thousands of people fleeing Chinese rule for American shores would be a tremendous propaganda victory for the United States. And pulling it off would be a proof of concept for what should be a key tool in Sino-American competition that huge numbers of foreigners may welcome the opportunity to move to the US.

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Damn. That's brilliant. Make it so!

tommie said:

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I wish we had we had an organization where North America and Europe developed a relationship to cooperate with intelligence and work together for the mutual benefit of both. Top that off with a free trade agreement that would strengthen the other Asian countries in the region. Together , that could be powerful against China.

Naw, that's nonsense.

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Dude the reason I am as I am vs the democrat party is simply because they've been coerced by China "deals."

Frankly, establishment RINOs too! Hello Romney and McCain

Your post above shows you have no clue of that?

HuMcK said:

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More opportunities for vote fraud means "we welcome you"

LMAO

Canada2017 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

Osodecentx said:

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Canada2017 said:

---

D. C. Bear said:

---

Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

---

Or will China go to war with the US to get it?

D. C. Bear said:

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Osodecentx said:

---

Canada2017 said:

---

D. C. Bear said:

---

Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

---

Or will China go to war with the US to get it?

---

Step by step China is conducting economic and strategic warfare against the United States .

China's power is growing while the United States is getting weaker .

Within 20 years at most China's position in the Far East will be impregnable.

And the United States will bow to the inevitable loss of Taiwan as an independent country .

Canada2017 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Osodecentx said:

---

Canada2017 said:

---

D. C. Bear said:

---

Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

---

Or will China go to war with the US to get it?

---

Step by step China is conducting economic and strategic warfare against the United States .

China's power is growing while the United States is getting weaker .

Within 20 years at most China's position in the Far East will be impregnable.

And the United States will bow to the inevitable loss of Taiwan as an independent country .

---

Unless China collapses first from COVID-32.

D. C. Bear said:

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Canada2017 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Osodecentx said:

---

Canada2017 said:

---

D. C. Bear said:

---

Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

---

Or will China go to war with the US to get it?

---

Step by step China is conducting economic and strategic warfare against the United States .

China's power is growing while the United States is getting weaker .

Within 20 years at most China's position in the Far East will be impregnable.

And the United States will bow to the inevitable loss of Taiwan as an independent country .

---

Unless China collapses first from COVID-32.

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Obviously if China gets more viral strains, they will make sure they spread outside their borders.

I can tell you, the Taiwanese are certain China one day will wake up and roll over them. I'm a huge fan of supporting Taiwan. Hope we always do. Can't believe the UK gave up on Hong Kong, shame it was probably political correctness that was the final straw.

EatMoreSalmon said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Canada2017 said:

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D. C. Bear said:

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Osodecentx said:

---

Canada2017 said:

---

D. C. Bear said:

---

Sadly, this was inevitable. Communist dictatorships, by their nature, will tolerate neither autonomy nor independent thought. It took longer than I expected.

---

Agreed

The same applies to Taiwan.

Sooner rather than later the presence of the 7th Fleet will not be enough .

China is going to call their play ...warn us to stand clear ....and invade .

---

Would US go to war with China to protect Taiwan?

---

Or will China go to war with the US to get it?

---

Step by step China is conducting economic and strategic warfare against the United States .

China's power is growing while the United States is getting weaker .

Within 20 years at most China's position in the Far East will be impregnable.

And the United States will bow to the inevitable loss of Taiwan as an independent country .

---

Unless China collapses first from COVID-32.

---

Obviously if China gets more viral strains, they will make sure they spread outside their borders.

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Exactly

Porteroso said:

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I can tell you, the Taiwanese are certain China one day will wake up and roll over them. I'm a huge fan of supporting Taiwan. Hope we always do. Can't believe the UK gave up on Hong Kong, shame it was probably political correctness that was the final straw.

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Are you willing to go to war?

Rawhide said:

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HuMcK said:

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Absolutely the right call. I keep coming back to this, but right about now an up-and-running TPP would have been pretty dang nice to have as leverage in all of this. That said, China is going to do what they want to Hong Kong whether we like it or not. Hopefully we punish them for it if/when it happens.

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biden will seek permission from China before he tries to punish China

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Taiwan is on their own. China owns the Bidens. Like the rest of us, Taiwan needs to suck it up and survive the next four years.

Still haven't seen you acknowledge the $16mil payment someone in China paid into Trump's secret Chinese bank account in 2017. That payment was right after Trump trashed the TPP, which ended up being resurrected this year anyway, but with China as the lead dog of the deal instead of the US like Obama/Biden had previously negotiated.

This is heartbreaking. https://t.co/jCfgtnkIz6

— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) June 5, 2021

It is sad. I used to enjoy my trips to Hong Kong. I still have friends there but will not go back.

Taiwan and Hong Kong are different cases.

China, putting it bluntly, does not have what it needs to invade and hold Taiwan. One reason for this, not generally discussed in media, is that both Japan and Vietnam have told Beijing that a PRC invasion of Taiwan would be seen by them as an act of military aggression against the region. The political cost alone would keep Beijing at bay.

Hong Kong is a different matter. For one thing, the island is not prepared, in any sense, to defend against invasion by PRC forces. Also, technically Hong Kong is already part of China, albeit as an 'autonomous region'. Add to that the immense financial value of Hong Kong's harbor and bourse, which Beijing has long coveted, and finally, but not least, the cultural threat of young Hong Kongese, who are very pro-American and anti-Beijing. The Central Committee has long desired to assert cultural control of Hong Kong, and it looks like they are taking that action now.

Florda_mike said:

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tommie said:

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I wish we had we had an organization where North America and Europe developed a relationship to cooperate with intelligence and work together for the mutual benefit of both. Top that off with a free trade agreement that would strengthen the other Asian countries in the region. Together , that could be powerful against China.

Naw, that's nonsense.

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Dude the reason I am as I am vs the democrat party is simply because they've been coerced by China "deals."

Frankly, establishment RINOs too! Hello Romney and McCain

Your post above shows you have no clue of that?

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Didnt Trump outsource much of his clothing line to China and build his latest bu8ilding with Chinese steel?

Your post above shows you have no clue.

Oldbear83 said:

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Taiwan and Hong Kong are different cases.

China, putting it bluntly, does not have what it needs to invade and hold Taiwan. One reason for this, not generally discussed in media, is that both Japan and Vietnam have told Beijing that a PRC invasion of Taiwan would be seen by them as an act of military aggression against the region. The political cost alone would keep Beijing at bay.

Hong Kong is a different matter. For one thing, the island is not prepared, in any sense, to defend against invasion by PRC forces. Also, technically Hong Kong is already part of China, albeit as an 'autonomous region'. Add to that the immense financial value of Hong Kong's harbor and bourse, which Beijing has long coveted, and finally, but not least, the cultural threat of young Hong Kongese, who are very pro-American and anti-Beijing. The Central Committee has long desired to assert cultural control of Hong Kong, and it looks like they are taking that action now.

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One of us is confused. My history teacher taught me Taiwan is a part of China.