Excellent post,
@BamaFan1137 .
Your last paragraph is very useful and instructive.
Yes, there is quite the symbiotic relationship between us and the Chinese.
But there is a war of minds and commerce between the US and China, as you know.
You know (as I do) China is much the surveillance state.
And you remember the attempts of the Chinese government to watch, control, and dissipate the Muslim Uyghurs (sp?) of western China and their concerns over the recent Hong Kong protests.
It's all about nationalism and control, IMO.
And it's about "saving face" as well.
Losing face would be a devastating blow to the aspirations of the current Chinese government...which could lead to unrest, lack of cohesion, and more.
The Chinese people from my understanding are more nationalistic than their American counterparts.
And while we (or many of us) are rightfully concerned about trade agreements...China's fear of losing face might well be something our negotiators are unequipped to deal with.
So we shall see.
China is currently signing more trade deals with Germany and the E.U.
They (China) might need us now.
But will they need us later?
China and other countries are dumping UST bonds and trading in national/regional currencies.
So...just who really needs who the most?
And will the Yuan become a major reserve currency sometime soon?
If so...the USD will become less relevant with time.
Gonna be interesting to see what all transpires.
Again, excellent post.
Agent Orange