Geo Political Risk

[Jaa]

I'm hearing things though the grapevine that the australian economy is going to be in difficulty soon. They started a trade war with china a few months ago and the second covid lockdown in Victoria is an added challenge for them.

Australia didn't start a trade war, they called for an international investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Something that could save 100,000s of lives. This is standard practice anywhere else in the world but such an investigation would show up at the very least the incompetency of CCP rule.

China responded with its now typical "glass heart" petulance with a cyber-attack and the kind of non-tariff trade barriers they specialise in. e.g. increased inspections, delayed permits, delayed/cancelled orders, pressure on Australian citizens in China etc. They have done this with NZ too in the past with our milk exports, turning boats around in mid ocean and other nonsense. Time for the world to require free trade reciprocity with China.

Such petulance and tone-deafness was also on display in their harassment of and forced quarantine of African citizens in Guangdong and criticism of the French public health response to COVID-19 and is losing China any support and friends it once had.

I have even heard calls for a "Made in the Free World" campaign.

[Davexl]

Something that arrived in my inbox that people might be interested in:

The CSIS Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative are pleased to present the Tenth Annual South China Sea Conference: Keynote and Session One on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. This monthly webinar series will provide opportunities for in-depth discussion and analysis of developments in the South China Sea over the past year and potential paths forward. This session will feature a keynote address by Assistant Secretary of State David R. Stilwell, followed by a panel discussion on the state of play in the South China Sea in 2020.


https://mailchi.mp/csis.org/webinar-...2?e=11d5ef38a9

Also something potentially major from the US on the South China Sea situation to take notice of this week:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ons-escalating

or if you can't access it try this: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20.../#.XwuoVeexVPY

Cheers people...