G20/JAPAN/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As President Donald Trump heads to G-20 meetings in Japan next week, companies and foreign governments are bracing for a world in which the foundation of global trading rules is upended. And they fear being forced to take sides between the reigning global superpower and its rising rival…Hyder said in an interview for POLITICO’s Global Translations podcast that businesses are responding to the uncertainty with caution and with consolidation, to ‘build critical mass as a defense mechanism for what’s going on and position yourself for what could be a bumpy ride.’ The U.S.-China trade fight, coupled with the Pentagon’s stated view of China as a geostrategic threat — with ambitions to ‘displace’ America ‘to achieve global preeminence in the future’ — adds another layer of concerns for countries like Canada who fear a replay of Cold War dynamics. The tension is already present for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — who is set to meet with Trump and Congressional leaders on Thursday [6-20-19] — in the case of two Canadians who were detained in China after Canada cooperated with a U.S. extradition request for an executive of the Chinese tech firm Huawei.”
–Luiza Ch. Savage, “Trump’s trade fights trigger angst for allies and businesses,” Politico, June 20, 2019 5:13 am