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Trump's Foreign Policy Act I: Kill a Chicken to Scare Monkeys
Townhall.com ^ | April 9, 2017 | Helen Raleigh

Posted on 04/09/2017 5:01:21 AM PDT by Kaslin

"To kill a chicken to scare monkeys" is a famous Chinese military strategy, and is often attributed to one of the greatest military strategists who ever lived, Sun Tzu, author of the famous treatise, The Art of War. This particular strategy is designed to send a message (often a warning) to powerful enemies by attacking a smaller, weaker power first.  I don't know if Trump, the author of The Art of The Deal, ever read The Art of War, but his surprising air strike on Syria on April 6th, 2017, clearly achieved a similar effect to this ancient strategy.

Many political pundits worried that the air strike is a prelude to the U.S. deepening its involvement in the war with the Assad regime. I think they miss the point. If Trump's intention is to go to war with Assad, he could have waited until Chinese president Xi left Mar-a-Lago.  Instead, he chose to strike Assad on the eve of the much hyped summit with Xi. The timing of the strike didn't seem like a coincidence. While the target of air strike was Syria (the "chicken"), the underline message was intended for China and its client state, North Korea (the "Monkeys"). Trump had every intention to give the Xi a front seat to witness America's military might and his own willingness to take swift and decisive actions alone. Unlike President Obama, Trump made it loud and clear that he's nobody's pushover.

Another curious thing Trump did on the same evening was to leave Xi alone right after state dinner and hold a press conference on the air strike in Syria. Xi and the Chinese delegates most likely view Trump's action as a perceived slight. High level political events such as this are usually highly scripted and full of protocols.  One of Xi's ultimate personal visions is to return China to its former glory as a super power in the world.  As the world's second largest economy, many in China, probably including Xi, believe that China has already achieved such superpower status and therefore, China should be treated as America's equal with respect. Trump, on the other hand, by taking care of business in Syria while meeting Xi, probably was sending his Chinese guest a not so subtle hint that the U.S. - China relationship isn't his highest priority. 

During his press conference, Trump called on "all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria." President Xi was curiously silent on the whole matter. He missed a great opportunity to act like a global leader. If he believes that it's China's rightful place to be a superpower, he has to remember that, as Uncle Ben told Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility." China can't just have all the prestige of being a super power while taking no stands against any rouge regime in the name of non-intervention in other nation's "domestic affairs."

Prior to the Trump-Xi summit, many Chinese leaders, perhaps including Xi, viewed Trump as merely a business man who knew little about international politics. Therefore, Xi was most likely prepared to stroke Trump's ego by announcing a few economic deals which would bring more Chinese investment to the U.S. and create more jobs for Americans. That fact that no such deal was announced at the end of the summit signals to me that the Xi perhaps recognized that he might have underestimated Trump and his original offer would be inadequate.

It's too early to judge whether Trump's message to China achieved its full impact. I don't think President Xi is scared. Just like Trump, Xi himself is a strong man, and he appreciates and respects another strong man. Chinese leaders are known for their pragmatism. Xi is no exception. There are already hints of China adjusting its strategic thinking toward the U.S. For example, China has been often quick to criticize unilateral military actions by the U.S. in the past,. But this time, China's reaction has been much more muted.  The day after US's air strike in Syria, China's Xinhua news site, a mouth piece of the Chinese government, reported that China condemns the chemical attack in Syria without taking any position on the U.S. air strike. Another headline from the same site said it all-"Xi says ready to boost China-U.S. ties from new starting point with Trump."



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Syria
KEYWORDS: presidenttrump
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1 posted on 04/09/2017 5:01:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Under Obama, China rose. Under Trump it’s being punched down?


2 posted on 04/09/2017 5:05:36 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Kaslin

Peace through strength and used only very wisely has always brought respect. The years of Absent America are gone. Now everyone knows. Tyrants beware.


3 posted on 04/09/2017 5:10:11 AM PDT by Uncle Sam 911
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To: Uncle Sam 911

It sure did.


4 posted on 04/09/2017 5:14:46 AM PDT by Kaslin ( The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triump. Thomas Paine)
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To: Uncle Sam 911

Trump smacked something that the world has good consensus is evil. And stood up and spoke up for it.

Obama has droned figures he didn’t like for years but it all seemed underhanded because he never made any announcements about it. And it didn’t do much if anything about radical jihadism.


5 posted on 04/09/2017 5:19:37 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Trump also knows the Chinese economy is in trouble and has been since before the election. Rising salaries and salary demands have placed them in a position of no longer having the cheap labor advantage it used to have. This is causing tremendous strain on their economy in addition to their productivity. Now that we are seeing the tables turning to support productivity and businesses of all sorts, especially large, middle and light manufacturing through tax policies and not subsidies that pick winners and losers, the most productive society will regain its dominance and the subsidy heavy Chinese economy will slide back into a relegated status because we all know, communism and socialism never succeeds no matter who or how it is tried.


6 posted on 04/09/2017 5:26:11 AM PDT by mazda77
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The liberals and consevatives have genetic responses to bullies. Conservatives kill a chicken. Democrats choke a chicken.


7 posted on 04/09/2017 5:28:50 AM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: mazda77

Oh China had it coming. It rose on rotten leaven. There is no long term good in America riding on that. God frowns.


8 posted on 04/09/2017 5:29:57 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Enterprise

Oh good grief. But it’s so. Actual American conservatives are closer to what we know as centrist, with robust gospel values to prevent either political aspect of the wings from taking over the show. Kill a chicken where needed but don’t engage in wanton chickencide.


9 posted on 04/09/2017 5:34:01 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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To: Kaslin

Wasn’t Sun Tzu required business reading in the 80s?


10 posted on 04/09/2017 5:36:38 AM PDT by kallisti (Both soliloquized alternately and imagined they were conversing)
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To: Kaslin

Wasn’t Sun Tzu required business reading in the 80s?


11 posted on 04/09/2017 5:37:10 AM PDT by kallisti (Both soliloquized alternately and imagined they were conversing)
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To: Kaslin
China can't just have all the prestige of being a super power while taking no stands against any rouge regime in the name of non-intervention in other nation's "domestic affairs."

Can't wait for the reaction when the Chinese start bombing us because of the violence at some BLM riot.

12 posted on 04/09/2017 5:44:08 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (In God We Trust, In Trump We Fix America)
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To: Enterprise

Okay, I snickered.


13 posted on 04/09/2017 5:48:29 AM PDT by gogeo (When your life is based on a false premise...you are indeed insane.)
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To: Kaslin

Insane rabid monkeys don’t care.


14 posted on 04/09/2017 5:48:40 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ ("Where there is smoke, there is Susan Rice." Lee Carter, FBN, 4/6/2017)
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To: kallisti

Yes and it lead to a grant many commiting career suicide.


15 posted on 04/09/2017 5:50:10 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ ("Where there is smoke, there is Susan Rice." Lee Carter, FBN, 4/6/2017)
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To: Sirius Lee

I can’t wait for your explanation why rioting gibsmedats compares to using chemical weapons.


16 posted on 04/09/2017 5:50:34 AM PDT by gogeo (When your life is based on a false premise...you are indeed insane.)
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To: kallisti

Yes indeed.
“Walled Cities” was required understanding where I worked for 16 years.


17 posted on 04/09/2017 6:02:50 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: gogeo
I can’t wait for your explanation why rioting gibsmedats compares to using chemical weapons.

Because it doesn't matter what you and I think. It only matters to the Chinese what they think is just - or abhorrent to "social harmony", once you open the door to interventionism by whatever nation has amassed a large air force, and a few carriers and frigates.

Once you accept the premise that one's national sovereignty is subject to the whims of another nation's morals - or lack of them, you're effed.

18 posted on 04/09/2017 6:05:41 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (In God We Trust, In Trump We Fix America)
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To: Sirius Lee
Except that induced whining isn't considered to be a crime against humanity.

Use of chemical weapons, very much so...As emphasized by the nearly universal support voiced for Trump's actions.

19 posted on 04/09/2017 6:21:09 AM PDT by gogeo (When your life is based on a false premise...you are indeed insane.)
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To: gogeo
Except that induced whining isn't considered to be a crime against humanity.

"Crime" is determined by whomever has the most guns. They don't like threats to social harmony, and may wish to use force to achieve it, whether it's Tibetans in their own country, or perhaps BLM animals in ours.

Twenty years from now, the globalists may decide that social harmony is more universally supported than objections to gas.

20 posted on 04/09/2017 6:39:31 AM PDT by Sirius Lee (In God We Trust, In Trump We Fix America)
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