Author of ‘The Coming Collapse of China’, Gordon Chang, appears on Fox Business to discuss the mounting U.S. trade tensions with China, the fallout from the protests against Carrie Lam in Hong Kong, and the announced visit by Xi to North Korea.
Chang also sees the visit by China’s Chairman Xi Jinping to North Korea as a strategic and purposeful moment for Beijing; an attempt to find footing against the overwhelming economic punishment being delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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Against the intense leverage being applied by President Trump, last week Beijing doubled-down and threatened punishment against any company that would leave China and begin manufacturing elsewhere.
The totalitarian response was predictable and expected.  However, also predictable was the corporate response to the threats.
As we shared:  “China is counting on prior western investment being so significant that a corporation will be reluctant to withdraw. However, in this outlook Beijing seriously underestimates the free market because communist controlled China doesn’t understand the action of a inherently free market.
The first loss is the best loss. If walking away from an investment provides more financial security and stability than attempting to retain a grip on a tenuous position – corporations will walk away.” (more)
Now today – “Nintendo Moves Some Switch Production Out of China”:

TOKYO— Nintendo Co. is shifting some production of its Switch videogame console to Southeast Asia from China to limit the impact of possible U.S. tariffs on Chinese-made electronics, said people who work on Nintendo’s supply chain.
It is another example of manufacturers adapting to the tariff threat. Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group said Tuesday that it was ready to move assembly of Apple Inc.’s iPhones out of China if necessary, and Japan’s Sharp Corp. , which is controlled by Foxconn, said last week that it planned to move production of personal computers to Taiwan or Vietnam.

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President Trump is executing one of the most brilliant geopolitical economic resets in the history of global trade. It really is stunningly remarkable how President Trump has controlled the entire landscape. The consequential phase now begins.
It is fascinating how the financial pundits didn’t see this coming. Perhaps one of the best indicators of where things are today comes from this quote within the South China Post:

“The Administration’s Section 301 tariffs and China’s retaliatory tariffs will now further disrupt – or even break – many thousands of supply chains in both countries.”
[Nelson Dong, a senior partner at Dorsey & Whitney]

The quote by Nelson Dong is stated *as if* shifting/breaking supply chains is a flaw in the approach. It’s not. Exactly the opposite is true; this is a feature of the strategic reset.  A specific and purposeful feature designed by President Trump.
What Dong is predicting is the deconstruction of “one-belt, one-road”.
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En route to the White House from Hanoi, Vietnam, Air-Force One stopped in Alaska for refueling.  During the stopover President Trump delivered remarks to U.S. troops stationed at Elmendorf AFB.
President Trump was greeted by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy who accompanied the president to a base hangar where U.S. troops were gathered.

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Update from the White House:
Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding the Hanoi Summit:

“President Donald J. Trump of the United States and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea had very good and constructive meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27-28, 2019. The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future.”

As the Summit concludes with no agreement, President Trump will be holding a press conference shortly.
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We can somewhat throw out the schedule; President Trump and Chairman Kim held a much longer one-on-one, and informal small group discussion….. Culminating in this historic moment with the media present and the formal bilat about to begin.
First, watch Chairman Kim Jong-un take questions from U.S. media.  That’s historic. Second, and more importantly, listen carefully to the answers: MUST WATCH

U.S. Journalist: “Chairman Kim are you willing to denuclearize?”

Chairman Kim Jong-un: “If I’m not willing to do that, I won’t be here right now.”

POTUS Trump injected: “That might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.”

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Senator Lindsey Graham discusses his recent conversation with President Trump surrounding the Hanoi summit with DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-un; and the political schemes of Democrats to undercut the peace objectives of the administration.

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President Trump and Chairman Kim initial one-on-one meeting to begin day two. Both leaders appear engaged and cautiously optimistic. Again, President Trump focuses on the economic potential for a denuclearized North Korea.  [Transcript will follow]

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[Transcript] President Trump: “Well, thank you very much Chairman Kim, and it’s great to be with you again. And, I’m sure over the years we’ll be together a lot, and I think we’ll also be together after the fact, meaning after the deal is made. We had very good discussions last night at dinner, and the pre-dinner was very good. And, there were a lot of great ideas being thrown about. I think very importantly, the relationship is, you know, just very strong, and when you have a good relationship, a lot of good things happen. So, I can’t speak necessarily for today, but I can say that this, a little bit longer term, and over a period of time, I know we’re going to have a fantastic success with respect to Chairman Kim and North Korea. They’re going to have an economic powerhouse. I’ve been writing about it, I’ve been talking about it. I think it’s going to be an economic powerhouse. And it’s something I very much look forward to helping with because with a little bit of help in the right location and the right place, I think it’s going to be something very special.”
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President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un begin meetings tonight on day two of their Hanoi summit.  Vietnam is 12 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.  Most of the substantive action, including a joint signing and Trump press conference, will take place overnight Wednesday and early Thursday morning.
ABC Livestream Link – ARIRANG News Livestream

Schedule and Livestream Below:

• 8:25pm EST / 8:25am (local) – President Trump departs JW Marriott Hanoi en route to the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 8:45pm EST / 8:45am (local) – President Trump arrives at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
• 9:00pm EST / 9:00am (local) – President Trump participates in a one-on-one bilateral meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam
• 9:45pm EST / 9:00am (local) – President Trump participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hanoi, Vietnam

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President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un enjoy a jovial social dinner at the completion of their first day of talks.  There is a genuine sense amid both leaders. The venue is Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi; which has french cuisine on the menu.
[Transcript remarks and dinner menu below]

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[Transcript] 7:08pm local – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Everybody having a good time?
Q Yes, sir.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: You are? I hope so.
One of the great photographers of the world. (Laughter.) One of the great. Make us look very good tonight, please.
Q We’ll work on that.
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