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He's not the smartest cookie

Trump is in China, where he is not thinking about our finances, but of the finances of the 17 megarich executives and Eric, who took the trip with him.

Trump landed in China on Wednesday night, where he was greeted at the airport by the vice president, Han Zheng, whose position is a ceremonial role. He was also sent to Trump's inauguration. He is not a member of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power in China’s ruling Communist Party. Zheng has little influence over policymaking.

Trump was also welcomed by a military band, an honor guard, and hundreds of Chinese youth waving flags. Experts on China believe the communist nation is sending a message to Donald Trump by sending a ceremonial figure to greet him and that they are choosing symbolism over substance.

And while Donald has Eric and Elon to keep him company, Melania is nowhere in sight. According to a White House statement, she is prioritising "America's families and children" back home in the United States. That means she did not want to go.

During the summit, Xi Jinping, China's leader, promised to make large purchases of American products and to help end the war in Iran. Trump said that Xi also wants the Strait of Hormuz to be open.

Usually, during Trump's international trips, he receives promises that never come to fruition, but it allows him to brag and make claims during the trip. It's like when Trump talks about all the factories that are returning to America that never arrive. Xi has promised to buy 200 jets from Boeing, but if he does, it will only be to help China, not Donald Trump.

Trump believes that Xi is his friend, which is a huge mistake. Do friends threaten friends?

That's basically what Xi did when he warned Trump that missteps on Taiwan are China’s red line and could push their two countries into “conflict.”

The US position on Taiwan is called “strategic ambiguity”. They say Taiwan exists, but also believe that it is part of greater China. The US does not recognize Taiwan as its own independent nation, nor does it support any independence movement, but America doesn’t want to see China take over Taiwan by force. The United States sells arms to Taiwan, and in fact, it's a law to supply for its defense.

According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.” He also reiterated China’s position that Taiwan independence and peace in the Taiwan Strait “are as irreconcilable as fire and water.”

The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has yet to begin filling it. China is not happy about this planned sale.

Xi warned that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.” Xi invoked a warning from the Classical world, when the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta went to war, saying that the United States and China should beware the “Thucydides Trap” in their own relations.

China sees itself as rising and surpassing the United States, while it falls back and loses influence in the world. They may not be wrong because Donald Trump's leadership has made the United States weaker diplomatically and less popular worldwide.

And while Xi basically threatened America, a U.S. readout of the bilateral talks did not mention Taiwan.

It's like the United States does not want to talk about Taiwan out of fear that it could say the wrong thing that would trigger China, maybe literally. When Trump was asked a question by a reporter about Taiwan, he refused to answer. You would've thought that she had asked about the Epstein files or if we are ever going to see his taxes.

If China is ready and really wants to take Taiwan, now would be a good time. We are expending much of our munitions at this time on Iran. We also just showed China that we can bomb the fuck out of somebody and they still won’t surrender.

As for that promise about helping the United States reopen, the Strait of Hormuz, China's oil is passing through the Strait with Iran's blessing. China is Iran's biggest customer. China is not helping us in this war. If anything, they're helping Iran, and it may even be selling them weapons during the conflict.

China gave Trump a lot of pageantry and a state dinner, which he loves, though he probably didn't eat the food. But China's message was clear and threatening. If Donald Trump still believes Xi Jinping is his friend, he's very stupid.

But then again, we already knew that, and unfortunately, so does China.

And in case you're wondering what Trump was served during the state dinner:

Mains:

• Lobster in tomato soup

• Crispy beef ribs

• Beijing roast duck

• Stewed seasonal vegetables

• Slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce

• Pan-fried pork bun

For dessert:

• Trumpet shell-shaped pastry

• Tiramisu

• Fruits and ice cream

Creative note: This cartoon evolved during its creation, and there are a couple roughs that will show you that which you will see you soon.

Drawn in 30 seconds:

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