Warrior President Trump No Mediator
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
Trump calling himself a “good mediator” to help resolve regional disputes is laughable coming from a warrior president.
He’s a serial aggressor, a war criminal multiple times over - waging naked aggression against sovereign independent states his primary geopolitical agenda.
Warriors don’t negotiate or mediate. They fight, America waging war on humanity at home and abroad, risking nuclear war in multiple theaters, a doomsday scenario if launched.
In Hanoi during a press conference with Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, before heading to Manila, the final stop of his five-nation Asia/Pacific tour, Trump boasted about being “a very good mediator and arbitrator.”
What he considers mediation and arbitration, China and other nations call unacceptable meddling in their internal affairs.
Disputes in Asia are for countries involved to negotiate and resolve, free from US interference, serving its own interests, not theirs.
Trump’s hardline APEC address criticized what he unacceptably called China’s “territorial expansion” - a US specialty, not Beijing’s.
His tone differed markedly from boasting about good relations with his Chinese counterpart, a reality check on bilateral relations, more hostile than cordial.
China and Russia are the two key nations, preventing America from achieving its unchallenged global dominance objective, especially unity and growing ties between them politically, economically and militarily.
Vietnamese President Quang stopped short of rejecting Trump’s offer, saying “(i)t is our our policy to settle disputes in the South China Sea through peaceful negotiations (with) respect for diplomatic and legal process in accordance with international law.”
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was more direct, saying “(w)e have to be friends. The other hotheads would like us to confront China and the rest of the world on so many issues.”
“The South China Sea is better left untouched. Nobody can afford to go to war.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Duterte he rejects confrontation that would “waste the lives of my countrymen for a useless war that cannot be won by anyone,” adding:
“China (will) work with ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability, as well as development and prosperity in the South China Sea region.”
Xi rejects US meddling in Beijing’s internal affairs, likely explained diplomatically during his meeting with Trump.
His “America first” agenda doesn’t go down well abroad. Nor does his rage for war. Asia-Pacific countries reject it. So do most others.
Washington, NATO, Israel and other regional rogue states are exceptions on the world stage, warrior nations, not peacemakers.
VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
