Chinese moo goo gai pan
Last November President Trump and assorted state officials, including West Virginia State Commerce Secretary Woody Thrasher, visited China as part of a trade delegation. On that trip, China agreed to invest a total of $250 billion in American (mostly energy) projects, $83.7B of which (a full third!) will go to investments in West Virginia (see China Agrees to Invest Amazing $83.7 BILLION in WV Shale, Petchem). It was all sunshine and flowers and butterflies. But now there's a big, black cloud on the horizon (perhaps we always knew it was too good to be true). Following a seven month investigation into Chinese theft of American intellectual property, last week President Trump told the U.S. trade representative to levy tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports. China is threatening to impose tariffs on U.S. products in return. A good, old-fashioned trade war. The question has been raised, What about that promised $250 billion of Chinese investment in Uncle Sam? Will China move forward with those investments, or perhaps withhold them? According to one global energy expert, "The Chinese are going to see these things [the promised investments] as bargaining chips." Which points out the problem with relying on an enemy's investments...
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