by STUART J. CVRK
Chinese influence-peddling in the US has paid major dividends over the years – from the days of Henry Kissinger to Bill Clinton’s Chinagate revelations to Barack Obama’s Scarborough Shoal giveaway to Joe Biden’s China reengagement penchant. The Chinese are certainly not alone, as other countries have exerted influence on US government operations since 1781, including the British and their “special relationship,” Israel (assisted by J Street), and in recent years, the Muslim Brotherhood and its many tentacles.
While Bill Clinton received nickels and dimes from the CCP in comparison to the Biden family’s multi-million dollar grift, as the New York Post reported in early 2022 how “the Biden family has done five deals in China totaling some $31 million arranged by individuals with direct ties to Chinese intelligence.”
With Joe Biden seemingly slip-sliding into history, a new player on the US presidential scene has apparently received the seal of approval from Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Let us examine the issue.
THE DEMOCRAT 2024 PRESIDENTIAL HORSE RACE
Speculation is rife that the doddering Joe Biden, who will be 82 just weeks after election day 2024, will not run for reelection. Hardly a day goes by without a major and embarrassing Biden gaffe (and here) or anecdotal evidence of severe mental decline. Options include invoking the 25th Amendment on grounds of “incapacitation,” resignation due to medical reasons, or simply declining to run for reelection as LBJ did in 1968 (albeit for decidedly different reasons).
Any of those options opens the door for his replacement at the head of the Democrat ticket in 2024. Kamala Harris is an obvious possibility, but her poll numbers (39% favorable; 55% unfavorable) are worse than Biden’s (41% favorable; 55% unfavorable) according to the LA Times as of 24 October. That opens the door for other wannabes – most particularly the governor of the largest state in the Union – Gavin Newsom – who as long held presidential aspirations. Virtually all of the legacy media has talked up the potential of a Newsom run for the presidency in 2024, given Biden’s obvious infirmities.
Did Xi Jinping just put his finger on the scale in favor of Newsom?
PAYING HOMAGE AT ZHONGNAMHAI
US Secretary of State began a parade of Biden administration supplicants to Beijing back in June. Xi Jinping blessed him with a brief last-minute grip-and-grin on Blinken’s way out the door on 19 June. The next up was Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen who completed a 4-day trip to China in July without having met Xi. Biden’s “Climate Czar” John Kerry didn’t get a meeting with Xi during his July trip either, but old China Hand Henry Kissinger did on 20 July, as noted by The China Project. The parade continued with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo meeting with Lin Feng, the Director General of China’s Ministry of Commerce, during her trip to Beijing in August, but Xi didn’t deign to give her the desired photo op.
The results of all this talk-talk? Nothing concrete other than feathers in Xi’s cap as high-level US supplicants come calling for a return to the US-China engagement strategy that predated the Trump administration. Their visits give the appearance of underlings asking for favors of the emperor – which suits Xi just fine.
ENTER GAVIN NEWSOM
Xinhua and other state-run Chinese media have glorified California Governor Gavin Newsom’s surprise 45-minute audience with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on 25 October. Xi must have been thrilled with Newsom’s comments, including this paraphrase from Xinhua: “Newsom said that over the past few decades, China has made remarkable achievements in development, especially in the field of new energy in recent years,” and that he is “willing to push California to strengthen exchanges with China and seek closer cooperation in fields such as climate change and new energy… and be China’s long-term, stable and strong partner.”
Xi would of course be happy with those comments, as “new energy” refers to so-called green renewables like solar and wind power and the transition to electric vehicles that have been at the forefront of Newsom’s energy policies in California. According to the Financial Times, China is responsible for the world’s production of “at least 80 per cent of all the stages of making solar panels and 60 per cent of wind turbines and electric-car batteries.” The green energy push by “Climate Governor” Newsom, as dubbed by Politico on 23 October, is money in the bank for the Chinese.
I wouldn’t say Birds of a Feather because even Vultures would’t want them anywhere close. Their like Hitler and Mussolini
The only reason the CPP endorsement is important to boozing,cokehead, womanizing Gavin Gruesome is because the CPP has infiltrated the Democrat Party and controls it. Going for the nomination unannointed by the oriental patrons would open him to attacks onhis record and moral fiber from candidates to his left. That’s a flank a spineless autocrat heir(his father was a Getty Oil lawyer and is related to Nancy Pelosi), who made his wealth in-utero, needs to guard.
Newsom wants to line his pockets with some of them Biden-bucks, too. Democrats can’t turn down CCP bribes.