President Trump will be in Malaysia for the Asean Summit wherein his men will talk to Xi’s men to see if a trade compromise can be reached. While Trump is convinced Xi will capitulate, he doesn’t seem to understand who holds the cards. Whether this understanding is reflected in his advisors, or Susie Wiles, or simple ego, Trump seems to think that China’s actions regarding rare earth mineral restrictions – ‘came out of nowhere’.
The summit is about more than China and US rivalries, it is about Asean countries being forced to ‘pick a side’. Those that pick the ‘wrong’ side will be punished by tariffs and internal riots. Why? Because that is what US Presidents have done for decades and Trump is simply yet another. The countries at risk include; Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Laos. The mentality? You are either with us or you are our enemy.
One of my favorite writers is Karen Kwiatkowski who posts on Lew Rockwell among other sites. Her latest, “What I learned at this week’s White House Press Conference” is decidedly American humor meets Monty Python. She manages to bring psychology to its comedic height when analyzing Trump’s various speeches, and this article is no exception! Hallelujah!
At the heart of the issue between Asean countries is the bounty of marine wildlife and resources such as vast quantities of oil and gas within the South China Sea. Somehow President Trump thinks that he can extort influence on this body of water and how its resources are distributed. The juggernaut friction over The Sea has been ongoing for decades with the 1970’s spiking various claims. But it was 1950 when President Truman and his Secretary of State John Dulles decided unilaterally that Taiwan as taken from Japan post WWII would no longer be a Chinese vassal state and instead become a US colony.
In classic western fashion, they claimed they were saving Taiwan from communism. Without China’s agreement, the allied nations under American leadership declared Tiawan a protectorate of the US. This unilateral determination is the source of a long entrenched riff between China and the US. Today, Trump is attempting to extend that riff toward all Asean countries by offering trade deals as either a benefit package or as a punishment package. Claiming it is ‘their choice’.
Also, at risk in the Summit is Tik Tok. Contrary to previous claims, that deal has NOT been finalized although Bessent claims Thursday a signed agreement will be definitive.
Also attending the Summit is South Africa’s Ramaphosa and Brazil’s Lula. Both nations hit hard by Trump’s tariff binge and looking to extend trade with Africa and South America. India’s Modi decided not to attend given Trump’s threats against him. But the air is stale with the bludgeoning Trump has managed to unleash on every nation across the globe. Ruling like Netanyahu, Trump levies a Big Stick and a Big Purse courtesy of the American peasant money loaned without interest to the government.
In the crosshairs are American farmers who will require a bailout as the Tariff Agenda is destroying their trade and Jewish Bankers more than willing to loan the farmers whatever aid they need for a mere 25% token fee. All given to us as a warning by none other than President Reagan forty years ago when he said Tariffs would destroy the American Economy and create a global meltdown.
Although the Malaysian government is cordial toward Trump, as has become common across every country, the People Are Not so generous. Planned protests specifically against Trump have been planned and marketed as Pro-Palestinian.
Despite the rhetoric of the Trump Team, the ASEAN unit will sign an upgraded free trade pact with China and continue negotiations on a long-delayed code of conduct for the contested South China Sea.
Trump has signed some trade agreements as a part of his coercion to alienate China: Those new pacts explicitly obligate Malaysia and Cambodia to cooperate with the United States against targeted “third countries” in areas like investment screening, export controls and tariff evasion. The agreements demand that these countries buy more US goods while continuing to subject them to 20% Tariffs. China is not likely to be pleased.
Although the media claims Trump and Jinping have made a deal – the two men have yet to meet and instead Bessent has made the statement while qualifying himself by the term ‘framework’. Like the Gaza cease fire ‘framework’ that Israel has violated every single day without repercussions because the Media are literally afraid Netanyahu will order a hit on anyone deemed undesirable.
In the end, the Asean Summit may bring Trump some of the rare earth minerals he is desperate to obtain outside of China, however, currently, Malaysia’s rare earths which account for 13% of global demand are all shipped to China because Malaysia lacks the technology to process it. Right now, the United States exports over 95% of its domestically mined rare earths to Asia for processing and refining into metal alloys, batteries and permanent magnets, among other components… Therefore the Malaysia deal is really worthless and China is the spotlight.
