Hello everyone, welcome to “News Talk” with me, Fuyao. Today is November 13th, Wednesday.
Today’s focus: China and Russia toughen their stance! Trump’s new cabinet members are getting tougher one after another, with clear targets! The Zhuhai incident alerts Beijing! Stock market and yuan suffer simultaneously!
Our guests for this episode are: China expert and host of “Henghe Comments”, Henghe; current affairs commentator and senior political and economic analyst Qin Peng; host of “The Incredible Cases of Dayu”, Li Dayu.
Recently, there have been several incidents in mainland China.
On the evening of November 11th, a 62-year-old man named Fan drove an off-road vehicle into a crowd on the track of Zhuhai Sports Center, resulting in at least 35 deaths and 43 injuries. The police stated that the man’s motive was dissatisfaction with the division of property after his divorce. However, the public widely questioned the police’s explanation. It is said that this incident has alarmed top Communist Party leaders, who have instructed to “take it seriously”.
In recent events, an employee at the Chongqing branch of China’s Transportation Bank attempted suicide by hanging himself at his workstation after being “dismissed”, but was rescued by bystanders, avoiding a tragedy.
Meanwhile, a trend among Zhengzhou University students known as “Night Riding in Kaifeng” has emerged. Previously praised by the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily as a way for university students to inject vitality into China’s tourism industry, the activity was halted last weekend by authorities citing concerns over traffic and safety issues after a surge in participants.
1. Mr. Qin Peng, although these events may seem unrelated, they are filled with dissatisfaction and resentment. Even if the CCP claims to “take it seriously”, what can they really do?
2. Mr. Li Dayu, under high pressure, people are all trying to find outlets for venting. What is the underlying connection between these events?
The distribution of seats in the US Congressional House is still undecided, but the possibility of Trump and the Republican Party “completely governing” is increasing. Once the new executive, legislative, and judicial branches are in place, it is believed that Trump will quickly fulfill his unfinished mission from his first term.
Just one week into his election, Trump has already publicized the members of his new cabinet for the next term.
Trump had previously stated that this time he knows how to pick the right people.
In the latest developments, Trump announced that he has chosen Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the next Secretary of Defense. Former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe has been appointed as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Trump invited South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next Secretary of Homeland Security. Previously, Trump had appointed former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tom Homan as the “Border Czar” overseeing border affairs; and announced his immigration policy architect, Stephen Miller, as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.
Earlier, The New York Times cited sources close to Trump, saying that he is likely to appoint influential Senator Marco Rubio as the Secretary of State. If confirmed, this would make Rubio, of Cuban descent, the first US Secretary of State of Latin American heritage.
Given Rubio’s extensive experience in foreign policy and his roles on the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Committee on Foreign Relations, he is well-known among the Chinese community. He is considered a hardliner towards Beijing and has been sanctioned by Beijing twice for it. Rubio is believed to be one of Washington’s earliest China hawks, noticing Beijing’s threats long before many other US officials.
Additionally, Trump invited former Army Special Forces officer and Florida Congressman Michael Waltz to serve as the National Security Advisor. Waltz has said that the threat posed by China to the US is greater than any other country’s.
Trump also announced the appointment of former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin as the head of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and appointed New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as the US Ambassador to the United Nations.
3. Mr. Henghe, the rapid announcement of Trump’s new cabinet members has sparked significant reactions from the public, indicating a clear strategy by Trump. What signals do Trump’s cabinet choices convey to whom?
4. Mr. Qin Peng, in terms of foreign relations, some say Rubio, like Trump, is calling for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. However, their views seem to differ on the importance of alliances, as Rubio advocates against China and Iran, while Trump appears to be more lenient? If Rubio assumes office, how do you expect US-China relations to change?
5. Mr. Li Dayu, Trump’s appointments are often based on “loyalty” as a criterion? Observing Trump’s style of work, does he prioritize solving problems first and then finding people to address them? Or does he prioritize selecting individuals first and then assigning them to suitable positions?
Certainly, the list of Trump’s new cabinet picks has significantly impacted both China and Russia.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, on Tuesday in Beijing, co-chaired the 19th round of “strategic security consultations” with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Shoigu told Wang that countering the US and its allies’ containment policies against both countries is a critical task for Russia and China.
6. Mr. Henghe, where do you anticipate China and Russia will “join forces to counter” the US and its allies?
Following the announcement of Trump’s new cabinet members, the Chinese stock market and yuan experienced heavy losses on November 12th.
The Hang Seng Index plummeted by over 3%, marking one of the largest single-day drops in nearly a month. The onshore benchmark Shanghai and Shenzhen 300 Index fell by as much as 1.7%.
7. Mr. Li Dayu, Mr. Qin Peng, Mr. Henghe, known as the “Doomsday Doctor”, Nouriel Roubini, previously predicted that if Trump takes office, China’s GDP growth rate may slow to as low as 3% by the end of the 2020s. Following Trump’s governing style would be a challenge for China. Perhaps, the “Trump impact” may force China to push for internal reforms, but he is unsure if this will happen quickly. Do you agree with the “Doomsday Doctor”‘s assessment?
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