After meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, Japan's SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced a $50 billion investment in the US, aiming to create 50,000 jobs. Trump then tweeted that Son "would never do this" if Trump hadn't won the election.
Immediately some Japanese netizens said this is the result of Trump extorting Japan. Not long before, South Korea said it would have to accept taking a greater share of costs for hosting US forces if Trump demands it. Foxconn, belonging to Taiwan tycoon Terry Gou, will join SoftBank in investing $7 billion in the US, creating another 50,000 jobs.
The president-elect has already prompted the US' Asian allies to actively express their willingness to pay "protection money" before he is sworn in. The investment of SoftBank and Foxconn is widely considered to be a creative way of Japanese and Taiwan authorities to play up to Washington.
But some think the investment deal is a show by SoftBank in alliance with Trump. The company has already invested in the US on venture capital, robotics and online finance, which will only decrease US jobs, not the other way around.
Trump tries to translate his image of not playing by the rules into a worldwide presumption that he may play tough, in an attempt to blow away his targeted countries and regions. His tactics seem to have worked out on Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Trump obviously considers China a cash cow. There have been voices in the West that want China to do more since the US deemed that China took a free ride on US efforts to maintain world order.
However, it was reported Wednesday that Trump is to appoint Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, an old friend of China, as the next US ambassador to Beijing, which suggests there may be another dimension to Trump's desire to maintain communications and friendliness with China. This has made his China policy in the making more complicated.
China has made more efforts to contribute more to world peace and increasing expenditure in this regard as it is necessary with China's continuous development.
But does China need to make deals with Trump that only benefit the US for making peace with him? Apparently not. The negotiations between China and the US must be carried out on an equal footing with mutual benefits, and won't come to any agreement under Trump's coercion.
What if someone tries to leverage China in negotiations in an unacceptable way and tries to create an arrogant atmosphere?
In this case, the best China can do is to return an eye for an eye.
China won't pay into Trump's protection racket. It should use the money to build more strategic nuclear arms and accelerate the deployment of the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile. China's military spending in 2017 should be augmented significantly.
We need to get better prepared militarily regarding the Taiwan question to ensure that those who advocate Taiwan's independence will be punished, and take precautions in case of US provocations in the South China Sea.
If Branstad is appointed US ambassador, China should give a positive response. China needs to always prepare for the worst and stay open to the good.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1022482.shtml
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