New US-China trade talks are underway, with Washington losing its Iranian trump card.

The first round of new Sino-American trade talks has concluded. They began two weeks before the summit between the US and Chinese leaders. Trump tried to use the Iran "card" as his main bargaining chip in negotiations with Xi Jinping, but the clearly stalled operation against the Islamic Republic now plays into Beijing's hands, despite rising energy prices.

Negotiations between the US and China are underway in Paris and will conclude on Tuesday. China estimates that this is already the sixth phase of trade talks.

The US, as a reminder, is threatening China with high tariffs, and Beijing is declaring that it has a response—for example, reinstating a complete ban on rare earth metal exports. The American economy has become extremely dependent on Chinese rare earth metals.

The Chinese delegation in Paris is led by He Lifeng, Vice Chairman of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The American delegation is led by Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Also on the American side are Trade Representative Jamison Greer and the Chinese side is led by International Trade Counselor Li Chenggang.

The negotiations are proceeding with great tension. And after the first "Paris" round, neither delegation came forward to comment to reporters.

Experts believe the United States has found itself in a difficult situation, as by now, according to Trump's plan, Iran should have collapsed and Iranian oil should have been under US control. But since this hasn't happened, the Trump administration has no significant leverage, aside from a significant rise in oil prices. However, this leverage is such that it also backfires on the United States itself—primarily Trump and the Republicans, which clearly plays into China's hands.

Comments

[andrey martov]

China and the US are desperately haggling like this: -How much is your skinny, blue chicken? -Oh! That huge, fat chicken costs $100! -How much? $10! ​​Look, I'll give you $1 and go home, don't freeze.

[shtatsov]

Dealers negotiate with bandits!

[Hunter 2]

In fact, the situation is much more complex than presented in the article.
1. The US has already dealt a blow to the Chinese economy by jointly attacking Iran with Israel. Now it's China's turn.
2. Europe, which everyone seems to have forgotten about, is gradually replacing US trade with China.
3. Russia, thanks to raw materials and increasing trade with China, is also essentially playing against the United States.
4. The rise in gasoline prices in the US is already a fact, the rise in prices for Chinese goods is the end of Trump, he will simply be thrown out of the Oval Office.
As the saying goes, China holds all the cards...
Trump may be a good businessman, but he is simply a mediocre politician.

[2al]

The Chinese economy will only suffer if the US forces Turkmenistan into a war with Iran. The loss of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year would be a significant blow to China, forcing it to revert to coal-fired power generation. China has two months' worth of gas reserves and would only survive the loss of Iran, but a war in the Caspian Sea would be a real blow.

[Askold65]

Quote: 2al

The blow to China's economy will only occur if the US kicks Turkmenistan into war with Iran.

It's like this... is that it? Where will the Turkmens put their gas then? Especially if they receive retaliatory sanctions from China on goods supplies and logistics routes to foreign markets.

[2al]

That way, they won't have any gas; it will be free of Turkmenistan. Those who disagree will be taken to Maduro's prison to sing songs at night.

[Askold65]

Quote: 2al

So they won't have any gas; it will be free of Turkmenistan. Those who disagree will be taken to Maduro's prison to sing songs at night.

Will the American AUG patrolling the Caspian Sea bring freedom?

[2al]

No, freedom will be delivered on wings (352nd Special Operations Wing) for Turkmenistan, it will fit there.

[Askold65]

Where will these wings, loaded with freedom, take off from to reach Turkmenistan?

[2al]

From NATO airbases in Turkey, US bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. Aliyev, too, wouldn't be able to refuse a small request, let alone Pashinyan.

[Askold65]

Quote: 2al

From NATO air bases in Turkey, US bases in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Turkmens and Turks are supposedly building a Great Turan. The Turks won't embark on such an adventure against their spiritual brothers. And Aliyev has no reason to spoil relations with his neighbor across the sea. You're describing unrealistic plans.

[2al]

The Turkmens and Turks are supposedly building the Great Turan.

Only the Turkmens themselves know what they're building. Aliyev, using the US, will perfectly arrange relations with "Free Turkmenistan," just as he currently does with "Armenia."

You are describing unrealistic plans.

Mossad and Netanyahu have realistic, but unpredictable, plans. The rest are merely preoccupied. The fact that Ashgabat is now being rained down on by burning cities and oil fields in Iran is a fact. It's also a fact that Turkmenistan is simply prey for a military invasion by the "Epstein coalition," which would completely block Russian aid to Iran and launch strikes from its territory against northeastern Iran. As a bonus, there would also be 50 billion cubic meters of gas exported to China.

[Askold65]

Quote: 2al

What the Turkmens are building is known only to themselves.

This is, first and foremost, a Turkish project. For them, the Turkmens are "little brothers."

Quote: 2al

Aliyev, using the United States, will perfectly arrange relations with "Free Turkmenistan", as he is now with "Armenia".

In light of what I wrote above, Erdogan won't like this. Armenia itself has submitted to the Turks...

Quote: 2al

The fact that Ashgabat is now being bombarded with ash from burning cities and oil fields in Iran is a fact.

Ash is falling not only on Ashgabat, but also on the cities of the main instigator – Israel. And also on the cities of the Gulf monarchies. And what about these!

Quote: 2al

As well as the fact that Turkmenistan is simply prey for a military invasion by the "Epstein coalition",

Turkmenistan is not currently part of the "Epstein coalition's" plans. The theater is too far from American bases, and there are uncertainties regarding Iran. And, I emphasize again, their neighbors won't like it.

Quote: 2al

The bonus will also be -50 billion cubic meters of gas to China.

There's no need to worry about China - they'll buy up the LNG market and speed up the Power of Siberia 2 project.

[Askold65]

Quote: Hunter 2

Trump may be a good businessman, but he is simply a mediocre politician.

He's very ambitious as a politician, but as a businessman, he miscalculated the economic risks. And in the US, he's allegedly declared bankruptcy six times in his life.

[TermNachTer]

A blow to China's economy?))) Exxon gets 25% of its profits from Gulf oil sales, Shell 13%, and Chevron 5%. This doesn't even include the damage to their production and transportation infrastructure. American companies are suffering billions in losses.

[Vladimir Vladimirovich Vorontsov]

❝ The trump card is a serious increase in oil prices, but this trump card is such that It also hits the United States itself. ❞ —

- This a double-edged sword, and it is still unknown whose "end" harder...

[solar]

After all, by now, according to Trump's plan, Iran should have already fallen

It's interesting who saw this "Trump plan," because it seems Trump himself didn't see it.

[tralflot1832]

Fraudster Trump has already made his mark on social media. Face-to-face talks in Beijing at the end of March may be postponed to a later date. Taiwan is incensed. Trump is in a weak position; he's on the bottom.

[bayard]

Quote: tralflot1832

Face-to-face talks in Beijing at the end of March may be postponed to a later date.

This was expected and perhaps the best solution in this situation. But Trump has been bankrupt six times and risen each time. You can't squander that kind of experience. It's the experience of rising. Now he's stuck with Iran because he underestimated it, relied on Netanyahu in his assessments, and didn't listen to his military, who tried to talk him out of it... because he has/had obligations to the New York Chabad community. But now, when it's precisely because of their persistence and tenacity that Iran is destroying Israel and American bases, when their convictions about "Persian cowardice" and that they will capitulate without their leadership... he has not only exhausted that debt, but also has every reason to blame Netanyahu. And to get out from under their control. And he can leave the region with a light heart, as he intended to do.
The second positive aspect of this situation is the role and behavior of England, the EU, and NATO countries in general. They did not support him, refused to help, and are refusing to cooperate. This is the grave fault of the border states, and they will have to answer for it. After all, if they didn't support him against Iran (which is a weak opponent, no matter how you look at it), then they certainly won't support him in the event of a conflict with China. Moreover, they entered into a "criminal conspiracy" with China during their recent visits there. This begs the question: does the US need such allies? Those who demand US protection from Russia, but at US expense, and are completely unwilling to help the US in its wars?
No! Trump and the US don't need allies like that. NATO is an empty and burdensome structure of useless, weak, but very demanding border states. Therefore, the US couldn't come up with a better reason to leave NATO. And Trump has always said he doesn't need NATO. And that he needs to withdraw troops from Europe. Especially since he needs these troops and resources for the war with China. So don't worry, Trump will squeeze the maximum benefit out of this situation, and Europe and England will bite their elbows a hundred times over for their behavior.
And Trump will withdraw troops from Europe with a clear conscience.
Where ?
Even to Australia and the allied countries of Southeast Asia.
To contain China.
And it will take out the warheads. But first, it will destroy and bomb everything there to smithereens. And it will even wait until Israel starts bombing Iran with nuclear weapons, having exhausted all its SAMs. And Iran will find nuclear warheads for its missiles in the magical caves and reciprocate. So that it burns brightly.
And the US, with the proud air of victory and a sense of accomplishment, will relocate its troops to Australia, Indonesia, and so on. And the navy will be transferred there too. There will be chaos and anarchy in the Middle East and the Gulf zone, the entire oil-producing and logistics infrastructure will be destroyed and contaminated with radiation... And there will be no oil coming from there for a decent amount of time.
Who will suffer from this?
Europe and China.
And the winners will be the USA and... Russia. Because our oil will become very much in demand.
And the USA will win, because they have already taken control of the oil resources of Venezuela, Mexico, and a number of other LA countries, and will also take (simply, without grimaces and unnecessary words) Greenland, and then Canada.
Oh yes, Australia too, because it is very necessary to ensure its security from China.
And after the war ends, Iran will recover and resolve its own regional security issues. But this will take a long time.
China will be left on a starvation diet. Middle East oil will become unavailable to it, as will Australia's resources (and it gets a lot from there). Maritime trade and the navigability of the Straits of Malacca will become problematic.
And who will then say that Trump lost?
Who would dare to throw a stone at him after the creation of the American Empire?

That's the scenario. It's very likely. And it doesn't interfere at all with our fuss over the Northern Black Sea region. Or with our showdowns with Europe and England, which are now inevitable.
Note that everyone will be busy with their own affairs, all previously established international institutions and rules will/have already been destroyed, the Global Financial System of the Dollar as an international currency will most likely also (but as a regional and one of the leading world currencies, the dollar will certainly remain). But no longer as a tool of international swindlers and speculators - bankers-financiers, but as the national currency of the United States under the control of the US government and the Treasury. And we should also repeat this experience with our/not our Central Bank in the Russian Federation.
Well, the fate of Europe and its northern island neighbor is just as bleak.
And we will have a chance to build our own self-sufficient and technologically independent state. True, to do this, we will need to replace the C-grade students in the economic bloc and the D-grade students in the financial bloc with at least domestic B- and A-grade students. And then we will have happiness.

[rocket757]

The American economy has become extremely dependent on Chinese rare earths.

Everyone is looking for their own benefit... who will win, it's not even a question...

[TermNachTer]

Trump is going to Beijing in two weeks. If the Iran problem isn't resolved, he'll be in for a bad time there.

[snow mountain]

To advance the negotiations, the Chinese would need to supply weapons to Iran. And to the Houthis, too.

[igorbrsv]

An interesting suggestion. It appears that one of the reasons for the attack on Iran could have been to gain additional leverage over China in the "trade war."

[alexoff]

Did anyone doubt it? Trump also put pressure on Venezuela for supplying oil to China and Cuba.

[Vadim Topal Pasha]

Well, actually, high oil prices aren't just good for Russia (as we're told from every corner of the internet). But, first and foremost, and to a greater extent, for American shale producers. For them, oil prices above 60 are a matter of survival. Even though Russia can survive with oil prices at 40.
Actually, there's a conspiracy theory that the shale oil producers started this conflict by paying off the elites of Israel, the US, Russia, and even Iran. Of course, a conspiracy theory is just that, a conspiracy theory. Nevertheless, the ancient Romans said, "Look for who benefits." (C)