Couple of quick notes:
Recently, I read reviews of Ray Dalio‘s essays on China and investing and that was what I was looking for. That is over here. In the course of my search for an easily accessible link, I came across this video. ‘Nuff said.
It’s long for my usual liking, though, there’s nothing slow or boring about it. Whenever he is on one of the (very few) TV channels I ever watch, I try to catch his appearance. I always learn something useful to managing the comparatively small retirement account I have to backup Social Security.
“China has told state-owned firms to halt purchases of soybeans and pork from the United States, two people familiar with the matter said, after Washington said it would eliminate special treatment for Hong Kong to punish Beijing.
Large volume state purchases of U.S. corn and cotton have also been put on hold, one of the sources said.
China could expand the order to include additional U.S. farm goods if Washington took further action, the people said.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/01/china-asks-state-firms-to-halt-purchases-of-us-soybeans-pork-sources-say.html
“President Donald Trump’s administration plans to bar Chinese passenger carriers from flying to the United States starting in mid-June as it pressures Beijing to allow U.S. air carriers to resume flights, three U.S. and airline officials briefed on the matter told Reuters.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-airlines-exclusive/exclusive-trump-administration-to-bar-chinese-passenger-carriers-from-flying-to-u-s-sources-say-idUSKBN23A248
“China may sell Treasurys, but that doesn’t mean it’s ‘weaponizing’ its more than $1 trillion hoard of U.S. debt, says Deutsche Bank” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-may-sell-treasurys-but-that-doesnt-mean-its-weaponizing-its-more-than-1-trillion-hoard-of-us-debt-says-deutsche-bank-2020-06-02
“US-China ties fray as Beijing’s Houston consulate shuts down : Group of men thought to be US officials break open door and enter China’s consulate in Houston after staff depart.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/china-ties-fray-beijing-houston-consulate-shuts-200725070502466.html
“The Chinese consulate closure and Pompeo’s rhetoric could stoke war, and no one objects
We are doddering toward conflict with a fellow nuclear power. How can our ruling class be so seemingly oblivious to the danger, or so nonchalant about the risk?” https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/chinese-consulate-closure-pompeo-s-rhetoric-could-stoke-conflict-no-ncna1234862
“Timeline: The Unraveling Of U.S.-China Relations” https://www.npr.org/2020/07/22/893767828/timeline-the-unraveling-of-u-s-china-relations
“Mysterious seed packets from China sent to dozens of people in 3 states, officials say” https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nation-world/national/article244479272.html
“US, China postpone weekend talks on trade deal : The US and China had planned to review progress at the six-month mark of their phase-one trade agreement, sources say.” https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/china-postpone-weekend-talks-trade-deal-200814202555539.html
“White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on Thursday said the Trump administration is satisfied with China’s progress in meeting commitments to purchase US goods in a phase one trade deal, signalling that the pact will survive an initial review on Saturday.
China “is now really picking up their imports of our commodities – which is a great boon, by the way, for the US agriculture and farm sector”, Kudlow told reporters at the White House, recounting US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s comments to President Donald Trump.”
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3097313/trump-administration-satisfied-china-purchase
“Fraying U.S.-China Relations Tested by Trump Ahead of Election.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-16/fraying-u-s-china-relations-tested-by-trump-ahead-of-election
“Protein shake up: China’s demand for pork, sorghum, corn surges : A jump in Chinese purchases of some US farm produce may smooth the way for future trade talks between the two countries.” https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/protein-shake-china-demand-pork-sorghum-corn-surges-200825065935725.html
“SMIC, China’s largest chipmaker, plunges 23% after U.S. says it could blacklist the firm” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/07/shares-of-chinese-chipmaker-smic-plunge-amid-potential-us-blacklist.html
“The U.S. Department of Defense is assessing whether to add SMIC to the Commerce Department’s so-called Entity List.” https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/05/us-considers-blacklisting-chinas-largest-chipmaker-as-tech-tensions-escalate.html
“Shares in Chinese chipmaker SMIC plummeted nearly 23% in Hong Kong on Monday on fears that it could become the latest casualty of the US-China tech war.
The US Department of Defense and other US agencies are reportedly considering banning exports to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., according to Reuters and other news outlets. The chipmaker could be added to a list of companies that the US government considers to be undermining American interests.” https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/07/tech/smic-stock-us-sanctions-hnk-intl/index.html
“America’s vital interests” according to the Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/what-are-americas-vital-interests
“Why Trump no longer talks about the trade deficit with China : President has shifted his language after failing to achieve a core 2016 campaign promise” https://www.ft.com/content/081e6d25-8d67-4caa-918a-2765a66f0052
“The China–United States trade war (Chinese: 中美贸易战; pinyin: Zhōngměi Màoyìzhàn) is an ongoing economic conflict between China and the United States.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93United_States_trade_war
The 23% drop is from the artificial high reacting to the shutdowns in the US because of the pandemic. For most of the year, SMICY has been trading in the $11+ to $13+ range. The Friday close was $15.10. I’m not downplaying the jive corruption of the Trump administration. An attack like this on a Chinese firm aiming their essential production at their domestic market is just another example of corrupt practices – a feature of the current administration.
Cripes, I wouldn’t have known even this little bit except that SMICY is part of my retirement portfolio. :-]
Terry Branstad will be stepping down as United States Ambassador to China after more than three years in Beijing, a source confirmed to CNN Monday.
Branstad is expected to leave Beijing before the November US Presidential election, the source said.
The announcement comes amid increasing tensions between the US and China on several fronts. The Chinese government announced on Friday it would be imposing unspecified restrictions on senior US diplomats and personnel inside China after Washington put in place a similar measure targeting Beijing’s diplomatic corps on September 3. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/politics/terry-branstad-china-intl-hnk/index.html
“The State Department did not immediately give reason as to why Terry Branstad was leaving the post ahead of the U.S. election” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trump-s-ambassador-china-unexpectedly-retiring-election-amid-high-tensions-n1239999
The announcement followed accusations by Pompeo that Beijing was hypocritical for blocking the publication of an op-ed penned by Branstad in China’s largest state newspaper, the People’s Daily. The op-ed, which was published by the State Department online, blames China for imbalances in the countries’ relationship. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Ambassador-Branstad-Op-Ed_Resetting-the-Relationship-Based-on-Reciprocity.pdf
The U.S. has also capped the number of Chinese citizens working for state media outlets in the U.S., leading to the effective expulsion of 60 reporters, and has reduced the length of visas for others from one year to three months. That has brought renewed pressure on U.S. outlets in China, and Beijing has delayed renewing credentials for several of their journalists pending a positive response from Washington. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/12/china-announces-new-restrictions-on-us-diplomats-activities.html
“Trump says Branstad’s leaving China to help president’s re-election” https://www.radioiowa.com/2020/09/14/trump-says-branstads-leaving-china-to-help-presidents-re-elect/
“Trump tells UN to hold China accountable for coronavirus pandemic” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-un-china-accountable-coronavirus-pandemic
“Trump at the UN: America is good, China is bad” https://www.vox.com/world/2020/9/22/21450727/trump-unga-speech-2020-full-text-china (Includes a rush transcript of President Trump Addressing the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly) See also video
“Commodities from copper to corn tumble on China crackdown, rising dollar” https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/17/commodities-from-copper-to-corn-tumble-on-china-crackdown-rising-dollar.html
“A Chinese government agency announced a plan on Wednesday to release reserves of key metals, including copper and aluminum, according to Reuters. Officials in the country have also warned about speculation in financial markets in recent weeks.
“Base metals prices are melting as China’s State Council escalates its crackdown against commodity speculators and hoarders by investigating [state-owned enterprises]′ overseas positions and auditing futures firms to combat squeezed profit margins,” Daniel Ghali, TD Securities commodities strategist, said in a note. “While overseas positions are harder to police with warnings, this crackdown still has some bite.”