Jokes Between Leaders Carry Serious Weight

National leaders don't crack jokes in public for mere entertainment—they do it to send messages. And over this past weekend, foreign media caught President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung doing exactly that, joking about a certain superpower's use of technology to intrude into people’s privacy.

However, the American president wasn't laughing. In a CBS interview on Sunday, Trump was asked whether the US would "intervene" if Beijing launched a military attack on Taiwan. His response dripped with anger: "You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that."

Trump then went further, claiming that “He (referring to Xi) has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president’, because they know the consequences." Analysts reckon that because Taiwan reunification would spark US-China tensions, both leaders at the Busan summit seemingly dodged the issue on purpose, focusing instead on topics like the trade war.

The "Consequences" Trump Doesn't Want to Face

Here's another joke from a head of state—and the punchline is "consequences." What consequences exactly? China's reunification cause doesn't require American permission.

Fact number one: The Taiwan question involves the moral principles established after World War II reconstruction. As Article 2(4) of the UN Charter clearly states, "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." If the United States publicly refuses to acknowledge this, the consequences would be more than Trump can handle.

Fact number two: China is now strong enough to fend off any economic or technological containment launched by the US and the West. Consequences? Look at Russia—no need to elaborate further.

And lets not forget: there was once an unrealistic fantasy that exaggerated Trump's "art of the deal," believing he could strike a "great deal" with China, using Taiwan as a bargaining chip to extract maximum benefits for America. For God’s sake—is China's sovereignty something to be negotiated or traded? The British Iron Lady learned her lesson from China; those consequences can be quite severe indeed!

Those "China experts" at home and abroad might find some comfort in the fact that Trump appears to have made major moves on the eve of his meeting with President Xi—when deals don't work, resort to hardball tactics. The White House has called for resuming nuclear testing, which would undoubtedly trigger nuclear weapons competition among major powers, adding chaos and trouble to the international community.

Trump announced last Thursday: "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately." Some say Trump's "nuclear order" was triggered by Russia's recent successful test-firing of a cruise missile with nuclear strike capability, but the US posture simultaneously targeting China is quite obvious. Why? In today's world, only three superpowers exist, and only China, the US, and Russia can play the nuclear missile game.

Xi's Phone Gift: A Public Mockery

The core of President Xi Jinping's joke this time was two Chinese-made phones presented to Lee Jae-myung—one for him and one for his wife. Both phones are manufactured by Xiaomi, and the significance lies in the fact that Xiaomi uses display screens produced in South Korea. The New York Times reported that Lee picked up one of the unopened phones and examined it carefully, then asked: "How secure is this phone?"

Xi laughed and said: "You can check if there’s a backdoor." He was referring to pre-installed software that allows third parties to monitor phones. Lee burst out laughing and even clapped his hands, appearing quite delighted.

What's the point of this joke? China's supreme leader publicly mocked the United States without mercy. What deeper meaning lies within? Simple: besides puncturing the myth of America, it openly treats the US as a paper tiger.

President Trump, please be cautious in your words and actions. China loves peace, but at the same time cannot be provoked. If the line is crossed, the situation will be difficult to handle.

Deep Blue

** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **

In the latest international upheaval, Europe is taking the hardest hit. After 300 years of modern civilization and the churn of imperial powers, that era is gone, and a better tomorrow is nowhere in sight.

Europe has one problem: it cannot take care of itself. “No one really knows whether Europe would still be able to produce toothpaste if it weren’t for China,” the EU Chamber of Commerce said.
 
Europe doesn’t make toothpaste; it sells luxury brands. Fine — look at the latest news. Reuters reports that the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has delivered a blow to European luxury labels. Sales at Dubai’s upscale malls, packed with wealthy shoppers, have fallen 50 percent, and LVMH, France’s largest luxury group, says wealthy Middle Eastern customers have paused spending in Europe because of the conflict in the Gulf region.
 
The New York Times, in a piece headlined “Europe Is Done With Appeasing Trump”, lays out several of Europe’s current pains.
 
“The barrage of tariffs that opened the second Trump administration, aimed indiscriminately at friend and foe; the brazen demands that Denmark cede Greenland to the United States, and now the absence of any consultation with European allies before joining Israel in an attack on Iran that has affected the entire world, have erased any illusion among most Europeans that Mr. Trump is anything but an unpredictable, vindictive and uncontrollable danger,” it wrote.
 
Trump’s latest move is to impose a blockade on all Iranian ports from Monday, adding another barrier in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. president has repeatedly said, with obvious satisfaction, that America has oil and natural gas, and that oil shipping blockage cannot bring the United States to its knees. In other words, if Iran wants a war of attrition, the White House is ready to go all the way. America’s NATO allies, meanwhile, make clear they will “decline to join in.” Europe’s oil supply is already under pressure: Russian oil and gas are cut off, and Middle Eastern shipping now faces a second lock. So is Trump punishing Iran, or Europe?
 
“Last year, export controls imposed by Beijing on seven rare earth elements and the magnets made from them had especially severe consequences. China is a global leader in the production of these critical raw materials, which are widely used in electric motors, smartphones, and numerous everyday electronic devices,” Deutsche Welle reported. “The EU Chamber of Commerce said nearly one-third of its member companies indicated in a questionnaire survey at the beginning of this year that their business had been affected by China’s export control measures.”

The EU Chamber of Commerce knows perfectly well that China-EU relations have been pulled off course by the United States, and that Europe has not shaped its foreign and trade policy around its own interests. It has even had to tear out 5G networks built by Huawei and ZTE, while Chinese electric vehicles face restrictions. That has only made China-EU ties more tangled. Europe can hardly be called arrogant now. Energy supplies are unstable, and rare earth constraints have turned it into an industrial power with nothing usable to work with. So what now?
 
Although calls to “de-risk” economic ties with China have persisted for years, many European companies continue to bet on the Chinese market. Over the past year, EU figures show that 26% of companies said they were relocating their supply chains to China, “a proportion twice that of companies choosing to move their supply chains out of China or establish a second hub overseas.” The trend is clearly still going strong.
 
Europe’s major powers, including France, Italy and Germany, all feel the need to break free from the manipulation and humiliation imposed by the United States, especially the Trump team. Europe has finally woken up and is now pushing for independence and autonomy, placing its national destiny firmly in its own hands.
 
Nothing in the world is difficult if you are willing to scale the heights. Europe becoming strong again is no dream, but starting over takes patience. I would say 300 years is enough for you to turn things around.