PUBLISHED MON, JAN 11 20213:21 AM EST https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/11/pom...e-biden-administration-says-e-australian.html Yen Nee Lee@YENNEE_LEE Over the weekend, Pompeo announced the lifting of all “self-imposed restrictions” in U.S. relations with Taiwan — a democratic and self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory. The move could further complicate a tense U.S.-China relationship days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office, said former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Rudd said Pompeo may be motivated to harden U.S. stance on China now so that he could attack Biden as “having gone soft” on China should it make any policy changes. More......
"Laying landmines for Biden" is just the way they are framing it. Side note: Shepard Smith landed over at cnbc so that tells you the direction they are taking with the news these days. He is a massive Trump and America hater. Another way to frame the situation is that "Pompeo is working up until the day he leaves to fulfill his commitment to the country to counter the rise of Chinese world dominance, and -of note- China is being exceptionally brutal to Hong Kong right now during this period- requiring extra assurances to the Taiwanese that they are not next in line- even though they are when Bejing Biden arrives. As discussed before the election, if Biden is elected, and Australia is still wobbling around trying to free itself from Chinese dominance, you will be out there all alone. The Americans will not be able to help. Nor will we be able to help the Brits by giving them a good trade deal to help them through the hardships of Brexit. The future belongs to China. The EU already has its head up China's arse with countries letting them in under the guise of this Belt and Road Initiative and since Biden will work with the EU to punish the Brits for Brexit, that will drive the Brits further into needing to do more business with China too. Big guy gets 10.