ODNI John Ratcliffe made an interesting, frightening & stunningly open direct statement yesterday when he described intelligence evidence that China is putting on a full-court press against governors and local officials to retain their influence campaign in 2020.

Essentially what DNI Ratcliffe described boils down to Beijing threatening economic blackmail against U.S. officials who were comfortable being reliant on local Chinese investment and purchases of U.S. companies, assents and interests.

With that stark statement in mind; and keeping the full national security ramifications in the forefront; it is worth remembering a foreboding speech given by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in February.

This is specifically important now against the backdrop of how some U.S. politicians appear to be reacting to the COVID-19 challenges, perhaps even weaponizing the virus to achieve political objectives; and with a perspective toward the way media outlets, some businesses and many politicians appear to be influenced by China. The background context for this speech takes on an entirely new dimension.

Pompeo’s remarks were made to the National Governors Association (NGA) Feb 8, 2020; and there’s an interesting segment where Pompeo reveals his awareness of a list of U.S. governors compiled by China’s communist party; and their alignment with China’s interests. A transcript of the key excerpt from his speech is provided. WATCH:

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Keep an eye open for information related to President Trump shifting the economic dynamic in the late summer and fall as he takes a more intense approach toward those who have acted against U.S. interests.  One such example is a restart of 10% tariffs on Canadian aluminum effective August 16th.

WHITE HOUSE – […] The Secretary has now advised me that imports of non-alloyed unwrought aluminum from Canada, which accounted for 59 percent of total aluminum imports from Canada during June 2019 through May 2020, increased substantially in the twelve months following my decision to exclude, on a long-term basis, Canada from the tariff proclaimed in Proclamation 9704.

Imports of non-alloyed unwrought aluminum from Canada during June 2019 through May 2020 increased 87 percent compared to the prior twelve-month period and exceeded the volume of any full calendar year in the previous decade. Moreover, imports of these articles from Canada continue to increase, reaching in June of this year the highest level of any month since I decided to adjust imports of aluminum articles in Proclamation 9704.

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Well done Team U.S.A.

This is a very significant trade development as it is the culmination of a lot background work and a trilateral trade alliance based on economic nationalism. The U.S, Japan and India have been working on the Indo-Pacific trade reset for several years.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Trump already sealed their component.  Now it appears India and the U.S. have reached terms. Very important. First, the report:

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India and the United States are closing in on a trade deal, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, after two years of negotiations.

“In the long term, I believe we have a quick trade deal which has some of the pending matters built up over the last couple of years, which we need to get out of the way quickly. We are almost there,” Goyal said at the U.S.-India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit, being conducted virtually.

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When the broad outlines of the U.S-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement first appeared, we said it seemed clear presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador (AMLO) was aligned with the economic nationalism preferred by U.S. President Trump.

Yesterday that alignment was on full display as AMLO delivered a very strong endorsement for the respectful agreement between the two nations.  Unfortunately, the U.S. media will never report on these words of praise by President Lopez Obrador.

Transcript […] I also wanted to be here to thank people of the United States, its government, and thank you, President Trump for being increasingly respectful with our Mexican fellow men.

And to you, President Trump, I want to thank you for your understanding and the help you’ve given us in issues related to trade, commerce, oil, as well as your personal support for the acquisition of medical equipment that we needed urgently to treat our patients of COVID-19.

But what I mainly appreciate is that you have never sought to impose anything on us violating our sovereignty. Instead of the Monroe Doctrine, you have followed, in our case, the wise advice of the lustrous and prudent President George Washington who said, quote, “Nations should not take advantage of the unfortunate condition of other peoples.” End of quote.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and visiting Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador are expected to deliver a joint statement at 6:30pm ET and take questions.

VIDEO and Transcript ADDED

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. (Applause.) Please. Thank you very much. Thank you. This evening, we are honored to welcome President López Obrador, the entire Mexican delegation, and many distinguished guests to a White House working dinner. We’ve been working all day, and we’ll be working for a little while longer. But it’s an honor to have you in the White House. Tonight’s gathering follows a productive day of meetings and concludes an exceptional visit, in which we made tremendous strides on behalf of our countries.

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U.S. President Trump and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be holding a joint press conference prior to signing a joint declaration celebrating the initiation of USMCA in the Rose Garden. Anticipated start time 3:30pm ET

UPDATE: Video and Transcript Added

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[Transcript] – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much, everyone. It’s a nice hot day, to put it mildly — (laughter) — so we’ll make this quick. But it’s all very positive — that, I can say.

And it’s my tremendous pleasure to welcome everyone to the White House with my good friend, President López Obrador of Mexico. We’ve had a very outstanding relationship.

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The publicly sold narrative is Canadian PM Justin Trudeau holding out on a celebratory USMCA visit to Washington DC over worries about U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs.  However, the background issue is Justin maintaining his “resistance” bona-fides during a U.S. election year.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is coming, but Justin has all those pesky political optics to worry about.  Or something….

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday he was still unsure whether he would go to Washington D.C. next week to celebrate a new North American trade treaty, citing concern about possible U.S. tariffs on aluminum.

Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is due to meet U.S. President Donald Trump next week, has said he would like Trudeau to attend.

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First, for those who have fought for decades against the baseline flaws within the NAFTA trade agreement, today is a very memorable day. Today the USMCA officially goes into effect and the trade brokerage system exploited by Mexico and Canada is officially ended.

NAFTA is DEAD! …This has been one hell of a decades-long battle.

Effective today the manufacturing of North American products must originate in North America. No longer will Canada and Mexico be allowed to “assemble” component goods from Asia and transport them as finished North American goods into the U.S. market.

The immediate impacts from this trade-loophole closure will be felt over the next several months and years.  Yes, things are rapidly about to change… and when you understand the details you also understand why the Democrats need to exploit a fictitious COVID fear to stop the explosion of U.S. economic growth that will follow.

Statement from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer:

“Today marks the beginning of a new and better chapter for trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada – just as President Trump promised he would deliver for the American people.

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President Trump holds an interview with Fox Business News’ Blake Burman. The president hits on a variety of current headlines including ongoing COVID-19 mitigation, a potential fourth round of stimulus, the nonsensical Russia conspiracy nonsense and the 2020 election campaign.

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During an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross notes that companies with headquarters in Hong Kong are likely to rethink those offices with China now taking control under Beijing’s sweeping new security law.

This is a significant statement and underpins the U.S. strategy that is dismantling the Chinese influence on global trade and manufacturing.  As Secretary Ross noted: “I believe that there’s a good chance that all companies who have Hong Kong as their headquarters for Asia will begin rethink whether the new rules – the new relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China – whether those rules let Hong Kong be as favorable a place to have headquarters as it used to be.”  WATCH (listen closely):

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There is a deliberate and blunt focus in the statements by Ross that will have a significant impact.  Globally the world needs to accept the future of Hong Kong as a communist state, and disavow the notion of any semblance of an autonomous region.  Secretary Ross just threw a bucket of cold water in the face of those who refuse to accept the reality as it exists.

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