On the issue of tariffs, Trump was still bragging: "My policy will bring $2 billion in revenue to the national treasury every day." Meanwhile, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller stated: "I believe China will eventually be forced to sit at the negotiating table... because they have discovered for the first time that America now has a president who is not easily intimidated or coerced." It's clear that it is the U.S. that is threatening the globe, yet now they claim to be coerced by China. We can no longer understand the logic of the White House.
However, while the White House was boasting like this, the top brass of the U.S. Navy was very concerned. According to American media reports, Michael, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Navy's Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, stated that the Department of Defense is striving to face a reality: perhaps they must confront China in the Pacific theater. To prepare for this, he believes the following two points are necessary:
1. The U.S. military departments need to achieve seamless integration;
2. The U.S. military must cooperate with allies to adapt to expeditionary operations.
A few hours ago, both the U.S. Secretary of Defense and Trump clearly stated: Military spending will be increased to $1 trillion. Regardless of whether Trump can achieve this unprecedented military expenditure data, it indicates that after the tariff threat, Trump intends to place "military threats" before China as well.
In fact, from the perspective of the U.S. Navy's high-ranking officers, they are far from prepared. On April 8th local time, Japan's Ministry of Defense conveyed a message to Okinawa Prefecture: In the future, reconnaissance aircraft will be indefinitely deployed at Kadena Air Base. Whether or not this move will provoke opposition from many Okinawan residents remains to be seen, but from a military standpoint, if Chinese forces were to take action, the U.S. arming of Japanese military bases now would be too late!
In fact, anyone with eyes can see that the current U.S. military does not have the energy to engage in military confrontation with China. Regarding this point, Alexei, the Dean of the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow State University, holds a very correct view. Professor Alexei believes:
1. This is the first time in recent years that China has been given an "ultimatum," totaling a 104% tariff ultimatum on China. For such an ultimatum, China's response to the United States has been not only strong but also swift, indicating that China still has many countermeasures in reserve. On one hand, there are numerous American enterprises within China, and the U.S. cannot let them suffer catastrophic losses; on the other hand, China still has means to use in terms of rare earths and metals.
2. Moreover, Professor Alexei believes that China has many friends around it. On one hand, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko has clearly stated: Regardless of how the tariffs between the U.S. and China proceed, Russia's attitude towards cooperation with China remains firm. Furthermore, in Southeast Asia, China also has traditional friends. Even in Europe, Spain's Prime Minister is soon to visit China to seek cooperation, which are all sources of confidence for China.
In conclusion, Trump has clearly realized that his economic cards are running out, so he is trying to play the military card. However, a few days ago, General Kayani, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had already clearly stated: The U.S. defense industry lacks the capability for prolonged combat with China. Therefore, this path is unfeasible for the U.S. No matter what, Trump must find a way to save face and negotiate diplomatically with China.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7491119900438839871/
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