you have to love when he demonstrates what a hypocrite he is "including for the always used National Security excuse" which he used to steal money from our military families to build an ineffectual wall that can be climbed, by an experienced rock climber unaided in about 30 seconds - or cut through with a battery powered tool in about 4 minutes
6
Trump is willing to give away our technology to get re-elected
Trump knows he cannot protect our technology as he said he could easily do by pressuring China with tariffs. And, now that he's been told it could hurt his re-election chances he suddenly states that it is not important
"Mr. Mnuchin — a close confidante of Mr. Trump who has repeatedly warned against pursuing draconian measures that would stifle business and inhibit the United States economy during an election year"
3
It is absurd to prevent American companies from doing business in
a large economy(equal to US in
purchasing power parity). US believe
in competition, but now resorting to
Tonya Harding principle( she hired
someone to break knees of Nancy kerrigan to win Olympic gold medal).
It is racist that Chinese are incapable of
innovation and can make progress
by copying USA. Huawei is a good
example of innovation. which American
company has 5G that it copied? It is
the first in the market with full 5G
kit,considered good and cost effective.
USA should stop trying to break the
knees and compete?
1
This is a case of Trump breaking something, then rushing in to fix it, just in time for Nov 2020
4
"President Trump publicly objected to efforts within his own administration to restrict the sales of American technology to China over national security concerns, insisting on Tuesday that such fears were an “excuse” and that the United States was open for business."
I expect that the erection of a Trump Hotel in downtown Beijing will be announced soon.
2
The nation that imports Chinese and Indian people to do much of the work in its research labs in universities and company R&D centers now seems to have full on hysteria about a few engine parts. How much IP do you think is in the brains of all those workers and how much ability to produce future IP? Anyone who cares about the national IP lead should focus on keeping those people here and on the pipeline of global talent from all countries open. The US still leads in research quality if not in sheer publication volume. That's due to being open to people from everywhere and to English being the international language of research. Mess with those and the US sinks to number 2 pretty fast. Don't focus on already invented and implemented tech. By the time China reverse engineers and mass produces, we'll have the next generation here. Our advantage is in our human layer. Very few get this.
3
It absolutely amazes me how anyone can be such a trumpanic (a real Yiddish word predating Donald Trump’s family’s US citizenship - it means “petulant two-year old” - someone who has a single-word vocabulary, “no”) and pretend to run the US Administration.
Would some adult in the room tell him “the Democrats want to give intellectual property secrets to the Chinese by selling them the few things they can’t make on their own”.
Or maybe “your strongest opponents are going to call for ending environmental protection, and suggest dumping sewage into streams and the CIA agrees with them”.
His automatic reaction will be a series of tweets and actions limiting trade with China until the nation accepts world patent and copyright agreements, and the strongest increases in environmental protection since the 1970s.
How about “we believe you should stay in office another 4 years, though it will cost you every cent you have based on your own tax law”?
His resignation will be tweeted within minutes.
2
And sone people worry about Bloomberg buying votes while Trump is selling American know how to the Chinese. I thought German cars are a threat to the national security. Absurd but people seem to get used to it.
4
Finally some common sense in the White House.
In the end there is only one way to win economic competition and that is the hard way: allocate resources and effort. Those "sanctions" are just cleverly camouflaged protectionism and we know how well that works in the long term for the competitiveness of a country.
Someone please read Donald a bedtime story. The book is called “The Hundred Year Marathon” by Michael Pillsbury.
1
Engine (specifically fan blade material science) has been one area China hasn't been able to close the gap against first tier engine makers (i.e. GE and Rolls Royce). Think about this, China has tens of thousands Boeing and Airbus planes (in additional to its fleet of Russian fighter jets), all came with existing and replacement engines available for reverse engineering, yet so far China's own indigenous engine (WS-10 series, a derivation of Russian technology) is just starting to show up on its air force fighters and transports in limited quantity with ho-hum performance. It's going to be a long long while before China put them on planes where several hundreds of lives are on the line.
Otoh, if we cut them off, China will just take it out on Boeing and GE and go with Airbus and Rolls Royce engines.
@Tim Teng Who's "we"?
2
Even Trump's ardent followers must be stunned at the man's actions. In effect he is now endangering US defense by sharing this high end technology with the Chinese. What happened to his strong objections to Huawei? He bows to the companies who care more about lost sales than about national security. His idea of America first only applies to corporate sales not the protection of US citizens.
4
Every minute of every day he is going to do this until someon/something stops this... congress needs to act..he is unfit for office vengence is not a way to run this country
2
The Madness of King Donald... Chapter 1,124...
4
What a banana republic this is!
5
What a president! Making it easy for Russia to steal our elections and for China to steal our technology!
And if they get caught? Pardons for everyone!!
MAGA! And a buck is a buck.
3
Pointless, Trump is a dilettante who knows next to nothing about anything. He opines but never bothers to become informed. Listen to those who bother to learn not this silly peacock.
3
Sounds like someone got promised a Trump tower in Shanghai.
5
Our President has been bought and paid for by foreign countries, specifically Russia and China, possibly Saudi Arabia and Israel. He is guilty of Treason during time of war.
3
Trump is scrambling for numbers which he can tout going into November. Drop that trade deficit any way you can, but don't let on how this is going to screw the country after the election.
4
Well the usual verbal incoherence from Trump. He backed down before when he suspended a penalty on a Chinese company that would have devastated it.
Of course he believes that being unpredictable is an asset. Which it can be, but it can also just be confusing, including to our own government and allies. A little presidential unpredictability goes a long way.
Obviously he heard from the CEO's of some big companies that thought they'd be harmed by what his administration was planning and so he changed his tune. I wonder if some poor schmucks who were carrying out his previous wishes will now be disowned.
The problem is that neither before nor now is our government following a plan. The previous approach was designed to please his voting base. The new one is for his donor base. It might even be the right call but there's no plan. Right now he's backing down which sends the wrong message to China. Should never have started the anti-China process in the first place if he wasn't going to stick with it.
1
trump has managed to square the circle regarding national security considerations and trade with China - simply breathtaking in its “logic”. Consistency and coherence are not hallmarks of this administration’s policies and no one should take this too seriously as next week there will be a different declaration of “policy by tweet” depending on who has trump’s ear.
It's not the particular policy position in this case that is annoying, but the arbitrary & mercenary nature of the policymaker that it reveals.
1
Keep an eye on Lighthizer, who is the brains behind Trump's ostensible efforts to take on Beijing. Lighthizer couldn't care less about politics. He just wants to stop the massive cheating on trade by Beijing.
.
If he leaves, we'll know Trump has sold out. If he stays, this isn't as bad as it looks.
1
Since the beginning of his presidency, we have seen Trump juice the economy by massive spending on projects with little or no long-term value thereby mortgaging the economic futures of our children and grandchildren. Now, he does the same with intellectual property rights, all in the interest of artificially boosting the economy in advance of the election.
I am surprised and appalled by many comments from Democrats and anti-Trump commentators. I too have been appalled by many of Trump's policies and acts (e.g., on global climate change, scapegoating and mistreating refugees, corrupt dealings, etc., etc.).
But this time, for once, Trump is right. We should look for ways to trade and cooperate with China so as to improve prosperity in both countries and the world at large. China does not aim to take over the US, but only to improve its own economy and prosperity.
China has become a major developer of infrastructure in other countries, but not in order to dominate them militarily, as is feared by so many US hawks. Rather, China seeks to improve its commercial links, supply chains, and "soft power."
The US has pro-actively sabotaged those positive efforts, fearing Chinese expansion. The US has thus become an active opponent of major infrastructure projects that are badly needed by many countries in south and southeast Asia, the Eurasian regions, the Middle East, and Africa. That is appalling.
The US wants everyone to buy US arms and not to receive Chinese infrastructure. Many countries are rightly tired of us and increasingly fear our malign power.
The US should spend far less on its military, stop trying to dominate other countries, and look for ways to trade with other countries and cooperate with them to adddress global climate change.
8
@Zola
Rare cogent comment here, thanks. I was thinking I don't know who's more ignorant, Trump or NYT commenters but trade and IP are not well understood issues, especially in the context of the long broad strokes of history. Marco Rubio is not exactly who I'd quote to make a convincing case.
Once again, trump sells out our national security for monetary benefit. Selling advanced weapons to our enemies is a Republican thing, and yet his voters have been convinced that the GOP is protecting us. They believe trump's every lie.
1
It’s almost as if you can hear the timber in Trump’s “House of the Stable Genius” creaking and beginning to splinter under the weight of his impulsive actions.
1
This house is built from cards not timber.
1
Every day, more astonishing incoherence from this 'administration'.
trump has no idea what he's doing.
"Things are put on my desk that have nothing to do with national security."
- Donald Trump
How would he know? By all accounts, Trump does not read the daily briefings, heck he doesn't even look at the picture power points.
And everyone around him believes Trump's intuition is infallible and their job is to make reality match his diktats.
Because he is POTUS, Trump is the most powerful man on earth - his hand on the levers can 'make it so.' Up to the point that it doesn't. The physical universe and the nations of the world do not bend infinitely to Trump's wishes.
It's Catch 22 for America - because when Trump succeeds he heaps wreckage on wreckage and when Trump fails he walks away from wreckage heaped on wreckage. America, Trump's seventh bankruptcy?
Why Republicans think this is all good is on them. 'In their hearts they may think he's right, but surely in their guts they know he's nuts' (thank you LBJ).
We can vote Trump out. If we are as determined to vote Trump out as Republicans are to keep him in, then any Democratic candidate will do. Are you in?
Wow. Wow. Wow. Trump actually got something right. The notion that withholding technology from China will do us any good is insane. 5G clandestine activities? Please. We would only be driving them away. But Trump is the cause of the larger problem: he negotiated for all the wrong things with China and now here we are three years down the road and they're going around America every chance they get. Aircraft from Airbus, etc. A big mouth is not helpful in negotiations on any level. The fact is that Trump is a horrible deal-maker. Horrible. But let's give credit where credit is due, he got this one right. Nancy got it wrong but then she was probably given bad information.
2
Trump's incompetence is epic.
1
Interjecting again, that Mr. Trump's Twitter account is the account of a private citizen; it is not an official organ of the White House (and thank God for that). Covering his private musings is nonsense. Ignore the attention craver.
Meanwhile his administration is pressuring Europeans to drop Huawei from their 5G network.
This administration seems to be all over place not surprising that our allies no longer trust us.
2
In the name of National Security, Trump justifies his every abuse of Americans and our democracy and rewards the rich and the corporations that fund his election and monarchy. He is delaying the publication of John Bolton’s book until after the election because it exposes the truth behind his blackmail of the President of the Ukraine on the grounds of “national security.” He won’t release his tax returns, that might expose his financial dealings with the Russians who helped him get elected because of “national security.” And he refused to cooperate with either the House impeachment or the Senate trial because of “national security,” thus making those proceedings partisan and adding another level of cover-up. I guess when you feel that your role as President is to serve one’s own greed and thirst for power rather than our country, then everything that might reveal the extent of corruption in the White House needs to be kept secret in the name of “national security.”
The latest Quid Pro Quo!
2
As the article points out, Trump wants to have his cake and eat it, too when it comes to national security. He also used that questionable excuse to do an end-run around Congress, diverting funds allocated for other purposes to build his border wall.
If Donald loses in November, maybe he'll cite "national security" to void the election and stay in the White House. Would that really surprise anyone?
4
Trump's China rhetoric has always been nothing but pandering to his base. A true businessman and a fighter would strike China while it's weakened economically from the coronavirus. Isn't the aim to stop China's ascent onto the world stage?
1
@Nick R It may have escaped your notice, but China has already ascended to the world stage. Now it’s a matter of managing expectations.
2
Money and Power; the only thing that motivates Republicans
1
Although I generally oppose Trump, in this case he has a point. If technology is vital to American security it should be classified. If it is not, then the company that owns it is free to get it manufactured where they like. Our manufacturers are not naive. Their own competitors here in the US try to steal their IP all the time. Most US companies feel they have more to gain by being involved in the Chinese market.
2
@Dan Woodard MD
"Classified"? This is a civilian technology. China can get it easily if they want to reverse-engineer it.
Meanwhile it will just chip the actual US high-tech exports.
@Dan Woodard MD
Naive. I have worked as an intellectual property attorney in China. American CEOs will sell out USA for short term profit. Caterpillar spent 500$ million buying a Chinese company that did not exist. Naive? China killed its 1st Nobel peace prize winner in prison like Germany in 1935. Innocents like you and the caterpillar CEO want to use trade to fund Chinese imperialism and human rights abuses. Trade with China is suicide. We who have worked in China know.
1
Trump sang Xi’s praises after they talked at length last week. Given Trump’s knowledge that he can get away with anything after Senate Republicans refused to convict him at the impeachment trial, who knows what deals or promises Xi made to help Trump get re-elected, perhaps our technology in exchange for a bit of hacking on Election Day? Perhaps nothing untoward happened, but that is precisely the problem with Trump: he will say or do anything to serve himself, even at the expense of our national security, and we now have no way of knowing.
13
The free trade capitalists got to him again. We need Bernie to stop trading with China.
4
What has China given Trump now? Maybe nothing but it's the question every skeptical person is asking.
13
@j.j.
Ivanka already has 18 lucrative trademarks in China. Perhaps Xi promised her a few more if Donald would just play ball.
4
@j.j.
Hmmm ... maybe the patents China gave Ivanka Trump for Trump brand voting machines? Just think, when it's her or Donjr's turn we won't even have to bother to vote. Their machines will do it for us.
1
@Mark McIntyre Ivanka also bought a company from China that makes election machines, to be used in November. Anyone suspicious? Trump blocked funding to make our elections secure from tampering. I think we all see where this is heading.
1
The right call on engine export. China's C919 is far from ready. Even when it's ready, the market (i.e. Chinese passengers) still has to be convinced to trust it over Boeing & AB's planes. The fight is so far down the road it makes no sense to prematurely rile up Beijing when Boeing is riding on its Chinese market should 737-Max get out of its dog house in coming months.
2
Every time this man does something I always wonder what's in it for him. Sad.
16
Trump will sell off U.S. technology and the kitchen sink to the Chinese if it would buy him another term and further line his pockets. Trump's only loyalty is to himself. The Chinese, the Russians, and every other autocratic, corrupt government knows Trump doesn't give a hoot about national security or protecting the long-term economic interests of this country. Listening to him back-flip on policy/trade with China gives me whiplash.
The abandonment of U.S. manufacturing (and the U.S. middle-class) by successes of administrations since Reagan was bad enough and China's admission to the WTO opened the floodgates to U.S. companies moving jobs and resources to China. Now Trump is about to deliver what little is left to the Chinese.
11
Didn't he use the "national security excuse" to stop buying steel from Canada?
7
Phew. Just as I was thinking Trump's tough stance on technology flow to China might excuse some of his other horrific policies, he did his typical now 180 turn on a dime and I remembered.
5
Things are on my desk that have nothing to do with national security--like robbing the Pentagon for more funds for a useless wall?
5
just follow the upcoming presidential election. the man is on a rampage to find the most votes no matter any deep thinking about who gets hurt.
2
Fake national security concerns used to protect commercial interests are always a failing strategy. In this context the US has lost its credibility with the international community when it comes to "warning" them about China. We had the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) debacle back in 2015 the intensive effort by the US gov to "delegitimize" and smother the AIIB in its cradle was rightly described by WAPO as a historically "spectacular" US foreign policy failure. "First Britain announced that it would be a founding member of the AIIB against U.S. wishes, then Germany, France, and Italy quickly followed suit." In its ongoing flailing, increasingly flop sweat drenched efforts to slow down China's ascent the scent of fear emanating from ever more frantically cajoling US policy makers has obviously not inspired confidence in America's erstwhile allies - on any front. See this week's collapse of US efforts to contain Huawei's 5G tech - the cheapest and most advanced in the world. Same 2015 hair on fire game plan - same humiliating failure. Just this week Britain and Germany - the only countries at least putting up a facade of taking the US claims against Huawei seriously - took their old friend aside and whispered they weren't buying what the US was selling. The rest of the world was much more blunt.
BTW who did Huawei 'steal' its "world leading technology" from? Unravel the irony in that question and you will see this was always a stupid foreign policy position.
5
Trump unleashed.
Thanks Susan Collins. Your cowardliness sealed the deal.
It is time for you to go.
10
@interested party Don’t forget Lisa Murkowski.
The fact that Trump criticizes the use of national security to prevent this export, yet invokes national security to tariff or restrict imports of aluminum, steel and even automobiles, is no surprise. America is now governed by one man's whimsy. There are no rules to govern him; no data points to convince him. Trump does whatever he wants and the fact that he told you he didn't want that yesterday, and was very strident about it, has no bearing on today's decision or tomorrow's. The problems with this sort of rule are too obvious to beed mention.
12
There are valid national security concerns. There are economic/trade issues, and IP matters. Then there are diplomatic considerations - how to work effectively with allies and with trade frenemies.
Balancing all of these requires having a comprehensive set of policies and an appreciation of international dynamics. Things in which this administration is sorely lacking.
Instead, we have Mr. Trump seemingly driven by either what he thinks will look good or by what will make him money. Hence trade wars to "protect" domestic metal producers (at the expense of American consumers), and a border wall in the name of national security (at the expense of military expenditures that would enhance real security).
And we have a phase 1 trade deal with China that does little to protect intellectual property - China simply promises again to honor its existing promises. But the deal lets Mr. Trump claim a "victory".
This latest about face seems designed to let Mr. Trump say that he is promoting American businesses. Even though it is business as normal, merely rejecting what now appears to have been a trial balloon about restricting exports.
The damage is done. Foreign companies will increase their efforts to source products from outside the US. American companies will look to do more work outside the US to protect themselves from capricious actions by this administration and by this country.
12
As we approach the election, Trump has only one interest: goose the economy, no matter how or if necessary, so he can win re-election, regardless of any long term consequences or damage to America.
How many lessons do we need? Trump is always about Trump. This is no different.
"Make America Great Again?"
More like "Me, Me, Me Again".
25
" for more moderate advisers like Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin"
Surely, there must be a more factually correct way to say "less crazy" other than implying Mnuchin leans towards moderation? Mnuchin is for sale - that is not a point on the ideologue spectrum.
Also, the issue with China was seldom over *sales* of technology. But rather over the forced transfer of ip in exchange for access to the Chinese market. "Want to sell cars in China? Manufacture the batteries here so we can "watch" how they're made. Etc..."
13
Trump has a plan and so far has done what he promised voters. That is more than most politicians have done and the reason I will vote for Trump.
1
@Confused
Yes, you are confused. Trump has lied thousands of times to Americans while in office. He made many conflicting "promises" during the campaign and he has delivered on very few of them unless his actions are distorted by FOX NEWS and its ilk.
6
Since this completely contradicts everything he previously bellowed, what is that “plan,” exactly?
Please be explicit.
3
Yesterday the NYT reported that the US was losing the battle in Europe to keep Huawei out of 5G. Quite simply, countries involved in advanced manufacturing and global exporting are not willing to get involved in an east versus west technology war, and the war on Huawei is seen as the sharp end of that war. For all Trump's faults, that is an argument he is able to understand so the all-out war on the Chinese electronics industry must come to an end.
3
What happened to the report that says China will copy the technology of the GE's aircraft engine - and manufacture it themselves. Did Trump read that report?
That was the reason for withholding the license in the first place?
6
Can you say "quid pro quo" 3 times in a row? Trump overrides his advisors to help China expand it's technology invasion to the US, China helps him fill the internet and social media with propaganda to win the 2020 election.
Who cares if US national security is forever after completely compromised by Chinese spyware on cellphones?
17
Once we sell any such high tech to a country not exactly our close partner, we might as well give that tech to our worst enemies while we are at it. All for a quick buck. We never sold nukes after WWII, although we could have made a fortune. We have long understood that allowing businesses to sell our best secret stuff abroad amounted to giving the secrets away cheap. What has changed???
4
"for the always used National Security excuse"...that would be the same excuse that tRump used to justify his wall!
8
And his tariffs on Canada and the EU !!
4
I wonder how the Trump China export flip will play out with our allies, who faced tariffs based on threats to our national security. The WTO will release its decision soon on EU complaints on US trade practices. Likely the WTO will give the EU permission to add tariffs to US exports. These would partly offset tariffs imposed on EU products to compensate claimed losses by GE against Airbus. Trump will fume, and may be caught in his acts of tariffs trickery he used to keep the US economy churning. Yet the big elephant in the room is a potential corona virus pandemic affecting the world economies.
2
He just makes this up, depending upon who had his ear last, or who sends the most dollars his way.
14
Maybe, if only everyone would stop talking/publishing about Trump and feeding into his narcistic ego.
There are so many pressing things that we as human beings need to understand and act upon - biggest one - climate change?
3
POTUS seems to play both sides .... and neither favors the American people, their livelihoods, their security or their freedom.
Drumpf's actions/reactions are entirely predictable to our competitors, especially the Chinese, bc the Dumpster-in-Chief has feet of clay, no backbone and no vision for America other than as his piggy bank...
5
Pop quiz hotshot - what is more dangerous .....
A) A 5G network that can be monitored for espionage and have systems and security in place to prevent it.
B) An out of control, rogue and authoritarian POTUS who openly gives secrets away and has secret meetings in Russia with no advisors or notes taken, who has secret dealing, through his son-in-law with Saudi Arabia and who knows what he gets up to with North Korea? A POTUS who insists on using an unsecure iPhone? A POTUS who goes on Twitter every other minute and blabs about all manner of things including sensitive information?
I know which I'd rather trust, and it's not B.
6
I guess that means it's ok for other countries to get their 5G tech from Huawei?
3
Was there ever really a 5G threat by Huawei? I wonder now will they release the daughter from Canada? And will Huawei then say 'Sorry Donald no 5g for you today, maybe come speak with me tomorrow.'
It's all about the economy in this election year for Trump support, not what is coming after.
3
Chinese always been cheating and stealing even before WTO. For example, Via Technologies of Chiba recruited Taiwan high school students to get into Berkeley and Stanford Electrical Engineering. Upon graduation, Via directed them to work at Intel. By day, they worked for Intel and at night sent secrets back to Via. This all came out in a lawsuit. For long range planning, Via’s 10 year plan is similar to Japan’s plan to destroy the 7th fleet (after gifting USA 3000 cherry trees as a Trojan Horse token of friendship). Trade with China is slow suicide. Wake up America.
5
It makes sense. Now that it appears the pressure campaign against Huawei has failed in the UK and in Germany, the US stands to lose not only to China but also the EU and all other partners in terms of communications technology in the long term. A pivot is required to keep in the game. Simple.
5
First they shake down the importers, but I say nothing because I am not an importer.
Then they shake down the exporters, but I say nothing because I am not an exporter.
Then they shake down the unemployed and those on public assistance, but I say nothing because I am not unemployed. My employer is profitable and pays off regularly...
Oops.
6
Opening in 2025, the Trump Tienanmen Square Resort - with building rights secured by a bidding process that will be as transparent as it will be legitimate.
14
Trump was interviewed by a reporter regarding the killing of Khashoggi, he replied, " You think US is innocent ? ".
US has been accusing Huawei for national security threat without any hard evidence. But after the release of WP story of Crypto AG. US may be the number one cyber hacker in the world. I hate to say that I may agree with him regarding this issue to be more competitive through trade.
2
And are we providing all the plans, specifications and trade secrets along with the sales?
3
Clearly motivated to get the economy going like a locomotive in this election year.
3
I wonder if he even sees the irony of complaining about using National Security as an excuse for doing things unrelated to national security-- his unilateral imposition of tariffs and the diversion of Defense funds for the border fence were both justified exactly on this basis.
20
@drdave I'm pretty sure Trump wouldn't understand irony. That's a bit complex for that very good brain. Does my cat comprehend irony? (maybe... she's a pretty special cat ha ha ha)
this is some sham related to trade.
GE has ben building aircraft engines in China since the 80's. no doubt there's been a lot of reverse engineering accomplished.
its all a con.
3
Not that interested in what he says. Let’s watch what happens down the pike.
1
We're not going to restrict technology sales to China, but we ARE going to continue hunting for intellectual property theft, alleged dual loyalties among Chinese-immigrant and Chinese-American scientists, and failures to report Chinese-government research grants awarded to US university professors.
I guess "consistency" has never been in Trump's admittedly limited vocabulary.
3
Dizzying. Absolutely dizzying.
5
Up is down, down is up and objective truth is questioned. We are now living in a state of consciousness where lawlessness, stupidity, and disorder is the new rule of law. The circus show of a myopic and leaderless America in the era of Trump leaves our country in persistent and deepening peril. Trump, burning all the books on American global order that took over 70-years to design, simply hands China and Russia exactly what they've always wanted - a new world order designed around authoritarian capitalism. We had a chance to stop this mad-man. But that bridge is now on fire as we move to forward into the abyss ...
4
For anyone who has read David Sanger’s The Perfect Weapon, this action by our president is disturbing at its best, and an outright assault on the safety and security of our country at its worse. The next war will be one primarily of technology, something our president knows little about. His decisions here will have huge impact long after he leaves office.
2
I guess money trumps national security.
6
Tell me folks, what does this president have to do that will convince the people of this country that he is stark raving mad?
Must we see small birds flying around his head when he speaks on television? Must he take all the money appropriated for the military and spend it on his security wall on the Mexican border? Pardon Benedict Arnold? Withdraw from NATO and the United Nations? All that may be coming if someone doesn't curtail his behavior.
This man may be the worst danger that our Republic has faced in our history. At least during the Civil War the combatants on both sides were honorable. President Trump is never honorable. Ask any of the generals who have served in the White House.
We can't count on the Republicans to control him, because as long as he continues to eviscerate every positive program enacted by both parties since the start of the Great Depression, they will support him.
The religious fanatics who support him because he continues to undermine a women's right to choose will never see what he is doing.
Do we need the Stock Market to crash before he is stopped?
Tell me what needs to be done? Must our Republican form of Government be destroyed?
27
@Joel Friedlander
Quote: "Do we need the Stock Market to crash before he is stopped?"
Bingo!
I hate to say it, but I do keep saying it: the only thing that will stop this stark raving madman is the economy tanking. And I do mean tanking. As it happens, and unfortunately, the new coronavirus might do the trick.
2
Giving something for nothing - not the best way to deal with China.
And it contradicts the basic tenets of trumponomics.
3
King Trump decries policy again: his own, and reverses such in his proclamation by Tweet. The man himself is the biggest national security threat facing the United States. China has been stealing U.S. technology for years – that hasn't changed. The U.S. should be absolutely wary of China with regard to any and all policies involving American technology. Trump is a fool – and those around him had better step up and rein him in – and that means you too U.S. Senate!
3
Emperor Trump has spoken. I wonder what happened to the “National Security” and “China stealing from us.”
3
Hmmmmm, "the United States is open for business"!!
Psychologists who understand extreme narcissism will recognize trump's dog-whistle message. This is an allusion that HE is "open for business" (open to corrupt influence and bribes).
China, trump is open for bribing!
Send him money. Quickly - he is desperate!
For only $1 billion, you can finally make him a billionaire, if only briefly. He has more than that in debts. And his loan payments are coming up for payment. The fake billionaire is bankrupt again, and badly needs an infusion.
Did I mention, he takes bribes!
13
Never underestimate the ignorance of the American people—or the greed of Donald Trump.
16
But helpless refugees at the southern border are “national security risks.” Gah.
3
The mark on his forehead suggests he smacked it, hence the change of mind. Or Big Daddy Xi called and said "pretty please". Whatever...
1
Donald Trump is the most ignorant,immature, immoral, incompetent, inexperienced, intemperate and insecure President that America has ever had.
Trump is lazily primarily dedicated to the proposition of enhancing the profitable return of the Trump Organization arising from his occupation of the Oval Office.
By refusing to declare and diclose and divest his personal assets into a blind trust you can't tell where Trump Organization Mar-a-Lago ends and Trump Administration White House begins.
6
The impact of the Covid-19 on trade as well as the overall world economic activity has put tremendous pressure on Trump by American companies to stop curtailing trade. Already the signs are there and is the reason why Trump is backing down now on the sale of American products to China. Trump can't stop it.
5
I wonder how large a donation to his re-election campaign was needed for this decision reversal?
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@PN Chinese Bank is funding a $500 million Resort in Malaysia Trump Org
4
@PN:
trump isn't that smart. He said this without receiving any donation yet. This was his OFFER to be bribed.
To those who don't speak trumpspeak, "the United States is open for business".... means HE is open for bribery!
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Interesting as always. The national security defense is Trumps go to excuse so a bit of a change here.
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Tariffs are off. Sales are back on to China. National security threats are now canceled -- or not.
Trump doesn't make good deals. They are promises to maybe some day agree to do something. Possibly. He never nails down the details. His deals aren't deals. They're poses to win votes.
His Commerce Department was certainly planning on imposing the ban on exports to China. Now, not. Uncertainty is bad for business.
Who is in charge? Bleahhh.
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@cjg
Uncertainty is bad for business, but if you know that in order to make the deal you must first "gain access" and line the pockets of the "Good Businessman", than it isn't so uncertain.
China has no problems working with strongmen who first need a few personal inducements.
3
Trump really is an expert on everything, even jet engines.
Strangely though that so many airlines prefer British or French jet engines. How come that they don't know that American engines are the best?
11
One has to wonder just what motivates this administration to give such short shrift to national security concerns, from clearances at the highest level to providing advanced technology to our non-allies.
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Of course Donald Trump takes the short term "let's make a quick buck" outlook. There really wouldn't be a problem if it weren't that the current Chinese government takes such a hostile, domineering attitude to the rest of the world. Of course there's every intention to use Huawei as means of spying, and we can't rule out that at some point the current Chinese government might even use Huawei's resources to threaten communications elsewhere, though that sounds more like Vladimir Putin's sort of tactic.
3
First he endorses China's cover-up of the coronavirus, now this. The check must have cleared.
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I've just been tweedling my keyboard awaiting this. Trade deals are easy. Mao once talked about natural calamities, such as pandemics, now compounded by two cults of personality, where US advisers and Chinese experts dare not shade the radiance of the kings. In the US at least, the trend continues for 45. Whatever he touches dies: razzmatazz trade deals signing at the White House, the near tragedy at Nascar 2020 and recall those headaches that are now serious neurological ailments. Remember in November...
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I am shocked said no one ever. Ivanka applied for, and received, may patents in Chinashortly after Daddy took office. Why is anyone surprised? Has the intelligence of this country fallen so far that this is surprising?
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@Zoenzo
Are you perhaps confusing a possible decline in intelligence with a very real sense of burnout?
2
Whatever trump said yesterday doesn't count. What he says today also doesn't count tomorrow. He goes with whatever is necessary at the moment to bulk up his election chances.
And we all know that he doesn't mean any of it, so it's Katie bar the door if he is re-elected!
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National security? Sorry, but Ivanka Trump's businesses in China are what really matters so there's no way Daddy can anger China's leaders.
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Ugh, he obviously just had a conversation with an executive at GE and pulled up Twitter immediately afterward. This is a serious issue and we need somebody smarter at the helm. We may indeed need to seriously restrict sales to China.
8
This was set up by the Trump family to take advantage of insider trading.
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"The always-used national security excuse..."
Coming from this guy, that's particularly rich.
37
A political election stunt to mitigate China sharp economic virus related slow down to avoid crash in the US stock market while disregarding the US cyber security implications.
10
Didn't he site national security risks when it came to steel and aluminum tariffs imposed on our European allies?
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@Carmen
Liberal democracies with rule of law are no longer our friends.
3
So THIS is what His Arrogance meant by ‘trade wars are SO easy to win.’ I see, now...
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Against his own advisors.
4
It never seizes to amaze me that Trump, at every turn, invokes national security issues when he wants for something to be done his way. It would not surprise me if we hear tomorrow that Melania, refusing to join him at the breakfast table, will be a national security risk.
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He has no idea what he is doing. This is what you get when you elect a game show host.
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@Eric
Partly right, but it is his life-long approach to bullying, equivocating and reneging in business that he brings into his presidency that is the root of the disaster that he is.
1
@Eric
Please don't insult game show hosts.
My guess is that either Pat Sajak or Alex Trebek would make a far better president than either Donald Chump or any of his GOP cohort.
1
He is looking extremely orange today. Almost red. Is his heart working correctly?
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@Eric heart?
If you want to know why China is eating America’s lunch, it’s because Trump gave it to them. This vey stable genius wants nothing in return.
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@Richard Gordon
If we knew more about his business empire we may find he is getting a lot in return. Look at the tax deal. It was targeted to benefit real estate moguls.
1
Ooops...Mr Navarro probably felt the bus tires roll over his back with that comment from the President
6
A very unstable genius.
November 3 2020
8
How many trademarks is Ivanka getting in return?
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WAIT. Has FOX signed off on this?
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More chaos in Trumpland. Trump could have reversed himself by Friday.
3
So Canada is a national security concern but China is not. Okay, got it.
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The USA should not be doing business with China. China is our enemy, and the longer we fail to realise this, the more helpless we will be. China is an Evil Empire more frightening than the USSR, and our goal should be its collapse as quickly as possible.
1
I wonder what China promised to give Ivanka?
3
Donald Trump is a traitor. When will Republicans in Congress wake up? They are complicit, and covering themselves in shame. (Oh, right...they don't understand that concept.)
8
How about this, NYT. Why publish self-serving tweets from the carnival barker? Just report his official statements, those for which he can be held to account.
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@arojecki I would agree except that this seems to be the only way he can conduct state business. This way he doesn't have to meet with advisors, or listen to advice he is not going to follow and his republicans just consider the tweets to be law enacted.
The republican cult's past policy of not selling potentially sensitive military technology to enemies nor buying equipment that has spying potential falls to their overall greed as well as their inability to muster allies to their former believes. Their lack of allies is directly related to their lack of character or trustworthiness.
What a bunch of disgraceful cowards.
7
This is good news for the world, an expression of statesmanship, and I'm a Democrat. China is hurting, and that hurts the world. This is an expression of hope and a signal to get the world' supply chains moving again before it becomes a very serious issue. We are coupled and interconnected with China whether we like it or not. I'm glad the president recognizes this. In the future we may want to measure just how much we want to be interconnected, but now is the time for cooperation.
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Seriously? China has an incredibly long history of intellectual theft, and companies that partake in this Faustian bargain are working against long term American interests. Americans pay for the development of this technology. Even for companies like GE that spend nothing in federal taxes historically. We should not be giving them easy access to our best technology even if it is civilian. Statesmanship? Trump? Never. It’s all about feathering his future personal nest for the day he is no longer president. Only a really dumb person who does not have US interests at heart would ignore the real experts and do this. But, of course, that’s our illustrious president. IF the Chinese had some incredible technology that we did not have, which they do not, of course, does any one thing they would make it easy for us to exploit it? What an incredible thought.
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@Bob Fonow I disagree. They may be hurting but they have hurt us in countless ways. Frankly you are plain wrong and he is as usual not reasonable.
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@Bob Fonow
I agree that this is the time to help China, especially with trade. Their economy is too big not to hurt everyone if they crash. We should be going all out on the medical front.
Not so sure about technology transfers. Especially surveillance/military technology. What we do there should be well considered with expert opinions. Then we should have a set policy that is understandable.
The trade deals we're seeing now are more what you'd expect to see of a third world kleptocracy.
1
If I recall correctly, the US lost the lead in the satellite industry in a similar way, by requiring a government approval for US parts. So I believe Trump is right on this one. Few will risk buying American if there’s the threat that supplies may be cut of for national security reasons. The US export will suffer.
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@MrMortensen
Er...if past is prologue Trump could be saying the reverse on Friday. Where do you think these rumors came from in the first place. THE WH.
3
You do not recall correctly, sir. Your version of the satellite ‘industry’ makes no sense. And with US private companies poised to unleash technology for commercial satellite launching far beyond what the it’s today, your argument is even less credible.
2
@Wilmington EDTsion
See for example here:
"ITAR's impact of increased regulations also meant America's worldwide market share in satellite technology declined from 83 percent to 50 percent in 2008 [...]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Traffic_in_Arms_Regulations
To me it's logical that export restrictions will hurt the industry. If it's truly is a national security issue, then of course you need to limit. But jet engines to a passenger plane?
Weren't the tariffs placed on Canada due to "national security" issues? (Were the the Royal Canadian Mounted Police massing at the border? I forget.) Didn't Trump cough up top secret intelligence to the Russians in the oval office? It's just another day at the Puzzle Palace where up is down, wrong is right and facts are all alternative.
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Canada, is more threatening to national security than China?
15
@TDC
Tip: stop trying to find sanity in the midst of insanity. It will only make you depressed. :)
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@TDC
Not sure Trump or the kids have any business deals going with Canada.
That's where it all stops and starts for this family.
1
If the past is predictive for this decision, we should all wait until Thursday or Friday. By then, Trump will have reversed himself.
135
Trump's barometer for America's technology policies is our stock market, period. This isn't rocket science.
56
Mr Trump has failed so far in creating, or encouraging business to manufacture goods in the US.
That includes tech commodities
His numbers are negative when it comes to jobs with real living wages that sustains domestic growth.
Mr Trump's agenda supports tax cuts to businesses that manufacture in China.
Apple, Intel, AT&T, Verizon,....businesses such as those will not invest in research, development, and production until Mr Trump "sweetens the pot" for them even more.
Still will not produce American jobs. Mr Trump has no intent to do that.
The contradictory rhetoric in the administration is merely a smokescreen that obscures Mr Trump's intent of enriching American big business, at the expense of American working class citizens.
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@Bill
Trump is hitting the brakes, the accelerator and shifting gears all at once.
15
@Bill yet The “working class” often at or below minimum wage vote for him. Despicable con job on many americans.
1
@Bill
You hit the nail on the head.
I think more accurately, Trump making clear he is open for business with China after he leaves office, like the unjust steward in the Bible. Looking out for number one.
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@Diane finally someone said it. exactly whats happening. explains Saudi Arabia too.
8
Market down! Say Something!
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Trump tweets again! Isn't it wonderful?
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@C.L.S.
How can a man of such intellect possibly state his case in only 140 words? Attorney General Barre will get his marching orders soon to go after Twitter to end this practice.
1
Mr Trump seems to be using tactics from his real estate ventures. His own administration is telling him now, No capishe
24