I also think there is no real way for Biden to rebuild the previous relationship pre Trump, not unless he compromises hard and looks soft. Most Americans now look at China unfavorably, some due to Trump, others due to the virus, and hopefully most do from their human rights violations. I don’t think he could return to pre Trump relations without looking like a bitch to Americans and allies abroad.
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I find it hilarious that so many Taiwanese ppl are panicking over a Biden administration when they did exactly the same in 2016 when Trump won.
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That’s true. That was me. Full panicking. 
Yes this is crucial, the world has changed
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That’s why I’m not in full panic with Biden short term. I’m going to give him a fair chance.
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On the other hand, while Biden’s team is signaling that they’re not going to do a 180 on Trump’s China policies, the continued rally in the yuan post-Biden victory is suggesting that the market thinks Biden isn’t as hawkish.
They’re not going to let China have full access to the ocean to project power. That’d be like intentionally taking out your own queen in a game of Chess.
If they attempt, I hope it’s violent, I hope we make it as expensive as possible for them. Don’t let them take for free a single New Taiwan Penny of wealth the Taiwanese have built.
China gained so much from the free transfer of Hong Kong. Corrupt China sacrificed nothing. We simply repainted our knight and GAVE it to them.
Who is “we”?
Western countries. We are one.
Not sure it’s that simple though. The Chinese haven’t lived up to their agreement with the Brits, but because HK is an SAR of China and the agreement for the handover was a bilateral one between Britain and the UK, I think it’s a stretch to say “we” gave the Chinese our knight. It wasn’t ours.
Taiwan is a totally different situation. Taiwan functions as a sovereign country and the US relationship with Taiwan is governed by the TRA.
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If the Chinese don’t want to follow their agreements, why should any of us follow ours with China?
We weren’t obligated to give Hong Kong. Only the New Territories. We gave the whole thing as a gesture of goodwill and an agreement. They broke it and we didnt negotiate an enforcement mechanism.
Why would we let Taiwan fall? It’s too valuable in containing China.
That’s what I’ve been saying. I know there are similarities, but the situation is worlds apart with that stretch of ocean, independent government, and a military.
But the US was not party to the agreement with the Brits.
The US has responded to the HK situation with sanctions, etc., but short of completely ending diplomatic relations with China, what should the US do? Go to war with China?
Keep in mind that certain actions, such as cutting China off from the international dollar system, would basically be seen as an act of war by the Chinese.
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Everything is an act of war to those people. Even attacking Taiwanese diplomats while also claiming to be the victims. We can’t just let them have their way.
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A country that is dependent as China is on our purchases should realise that A. They should provide better customer service and B. They have nothing when the taps turn off and mass layoffs occur.
Go to war with us? Their customers? They want to shoot their customers? They’ll take themselves down!
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Don’t work on the assumption that China is reasonable. They’ve been eating decades of BS invincible PLA might now. They would kill their mothers to save face on the national level.
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I’m all for a great decoupling. It can’t come fast enough. But this is going to take years because you can’t just take China’s supply chain and replicate it in other countries. There will be no turning off the tap tomorrow and the Chinese know this.
China is focusing on dual circulation.
Doesn’t matter if this is realistic or not. If China believes that it doesn’t need the rest of the world anymore, they are apt to make decisions that reflect that belief.
So true. I tried so hard to not use manufacturing from China. I looked at Vietnam, India, Pakistan. None of them come close. Cost of labor might be cheaper now in some of these places, but China still have economy of scale and efficiency/know how in manufacturing.
Quality is also better in China for me. And they know how to do business. Working with someone who understands how to do business is so important. I never get a good feeling talking to factories in SE Asia or India/Pakistan.
What should move back in high tech. Cost of IP theft is too high.
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Will be interesting to see how China’s increasing bullying of Australia impacts Biden’s China policy.
If Biden largely keeps in place the Trump policy and is able to build a stronger coalition with America’s allies because he’s seen as a more reliable partner, that would be good news. But that’s a big if.
Biden has the advantage of knowing even giving China a big F U only makes them bark louder. He can push them back. He just needs to grow a pair with the rest the US allies.