Tag Archives: China

Apr 14 2026

Cut Off the Money – U.S Military Will Start Enforcing Embargo of Product No One Is Supposed to Be Buying


Posted originally on CTH on April 12, 2026 | Sundance 

The headline is the reality of the thing.

Oil and gas sales from Iran are under international sanction and not supposed to be taking place.  However, oil and gas sales from Iran -violating the sanctions- have been taking place.

CENTCOM is announcing that the U.S. military will now ensure the oil and gas from Iran doesn’t move.

The U.S. will physically enforce the pre-existing global sanctions. A blockade begins tomorrow morning.

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the President’s proclamation.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade.

All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches. (SOURCE)

Oil and gas from Kuwait will be allowed transit and passage.  Oil and gas from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar will also transit without issue.  However, oil or gas from Iran will be blocked.  China takes the biggest hit, again.

The target now is to cut off the Iranian money supply.

This blockade is happening against the little discussed backdrop of Dubai (UAE) targeting Iranian money changers.

DUBAI – The arrest of dozens of IRGC-linked money changers in the United Arab Emirates is one of the most serious blows yet to Tehran’s sanctions-evasion network, laying bare how heavily the Islamic Republic has depended on Dubai as an economic lifeline.

Sources familiar with the matter told Iran International that UAE authorities detained dozens of money changers tied to financial entities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, shut down associated companies and closed their offices.

The crackdown follows days of mounting regional tensions and comes after other measures targeting Iranian nationals, including visa revocations and tighter travel restrictions through Dubai.

For years, Dubai has served as Iran’s main offshore financial artery, where oil proceeds, petrochemical revenues and rial conversions were turned into dollars, dirhams and euros beyond the reach of the country’s battered domestic banking system.

“This is going to be a real problem for Tehran because Dubai was an economic lung for the Iranian regime,” Jason Brodsky of United Against Nuclear Iran told Iran International.

“That is economic pressure and diplomatic isolation in a way that the UAE is able to employ against the Iranian regime, and it will have a very considerable impact.” (more)

Apr 10 2026

Susan Kokinda on Trump’s Gambit: Civilizational Expansion or Nihilistic Western Decline


Posted originally on CTH on April 9, 2026 | Sundance |

Susan Kokinda from Promethean Action gives her perspective on the negotiated ceasefire with Iran.  Kokinda notes the key players were Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey (she missed China).

In a lesser reported part of the background, Chairman Xi Jinping summoned the Pakistani negotiators to Beijing prior to the terms of agreement with Trump.  The summoning happened right after Trump said he was going to target the full force of the U.S. military against Iranian infrastructure.

Why does that matter to China?  Belt and Road.  Beijing has built a railway from China into Iran for the transport of goods and raw materials (including energy products) out of Iran (sanctions avoidance) in exchange for shipments of weapons. If President Trump targeted the railway infrastructure, in combination with the oil shipments being hampered, ¹China would be in a very bad place.  Hence the summoning to get a ceasefire.

Focusing too narrowly on the British Empire as the source of all problems and you miss things.  Mrs Kokinda missed this:

[SOURCE]

¹China in a bad place due to the middle east in crisis, means China becomes more dependent on Russia for oil, gas and ultimately fuel.  Internally, Russia isn’t a big fan of their Chinese dependencies.

If FUBAR in Iran remained the statis, the two countries not in any crisis would be the USA and Russia, both with oil/gas and extra refining capacity.  The countries/regions in biggest crisis would be China, Europe and Southeast Asia.

The U.S. and Russia less affected.  China and the EU more affected.  A significant geopolitical paradigm shift, all things considered…. and it appears that Beijing saw it coming.

Mar 29 2026

Sen. Cotton: China, Iran Are Allies in Fighting U.S. Leadership of International Order


Posted originally on Rumble on, Brightbart News Network, March 28, 2126

Mar 26 2026

President Trump Summit with Chairman Xi Now Scheduled for May 14th and 15th


Posted originally on CTH on March 25, 2026 | Sundance

This is good news from the standpoint of us wanting to see President Trump continue to make MAGAnomic progress on trade as well as geopolitical alliances.

It will be a very interesting summit against the backdrop of Venezuela, Iran, oil/gas energy shifts, the previous Alaska summit with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, the renegotiation of the USMCA and the Chinese auto deal in Canada…

There are a lot of important topics within a Trump-Xi summit.

PRESIDENT TRUMP – “My meeting with the Highly Respected President of China, President Xi Jinping, which was originally postponed due to our Military operation in Iran, has been rescheduled, and will take place in Beijing on May 14th and 15th.”

“First Lady Melania and I will also host President Xi and Madame Peng for a reciprocal visit in Washington, D.C., at a later date, this year. Our Representatives are finalizing preparations for these Historic Visits. I look very much forward to spending time with President Xi in what will be, I am sure, a Monumental Event. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”  ~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

Mar 25 2026

Put this in the USMCA (CUSMA) elimination/negotiation file.  Europe has already been the visible example of what happens when you open your market to low price Chinese EVs.


With the recent agreement by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Chinese auto manufacturers are now rushing to establish the dealerships, before the Beijing-Canada deal becomes an issue in the USMCA negotiation.

China is NOT going into Canada because they foresee a great market of Snow Mexicans purchasing their low price EVs.  They are going into Canada as a proactive measure to establish a North American footprint with an eye toward the USA.

(VIA MSM) – BYD and Chery are accelerating plans to establish a dealership network in Canada after the country introduced a quota allowing tens of thousands of Chinese-made EVs to enter at reduced tariffs. The rollout will begin in Toronto before expanding to other major cities, with BYD targeting about 20 dealerships in its first year. This marks a significant new front in North American EV competition, as Chinese automakers seek growth outside the U.S., where prohibitive tariffs keep them out.

Canada’s updated trade policy allows 24,500 Chinese-made EVs annually at a reduced 6.1% duty, giving BYD and Chery a rare North American entry point. This follows China’s surge to become the world’s top vehicle exporter, with similar pushes into Mexico, Europe, and Latin America. The quota’s scale is modest but strategically valuable for testing market response and building brand awareness.

The companies will launch in Toronto before moving into Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. BYD aims for around 20 dealerships in its first year, using consultants and internal teams to secure prime sites. While the network could strengthen visibility in key urban markets, experts warn the quota’s limited volume may test the viability of multiple outlets.

With U.S. tariffs exceeding 100% effectively barring entry, Canada offers Chinese automakers a platform to establish presence, gauge consumer interest, and potentially influence future trade talks. Similar strategies have been used in Europe, where Chinese EV makers have gained ground despite strong local competition. Success in Canada could pave the way for local assembly or increased quotas. (read more)

Mar 19 2026

Karoline Leavitt Confirms President Trump China Trip Indefinitely Postponed


Posted originally on CTH on March 18, 2026 | Sundance 

This is very interesting because Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer went to Paris last weekend to meet with their Chinese counterparts and organize the deliverables for the upcoming summit between Chairman Xi Jinping and President Trump.

At roughly the same moment that Bessent and Greer were meeting with China, President Trump sent out the Truth Social message requesting Chinese ships to come to the Strait of Hormuz and escort their oil.  I said at the time of Trump’s message that Chairman Xi was going to have to negotiate through this issue carefully because it was very obvious that President Trump was not going to maintain any diplomatic pretenses when he met with Chairman Xi.

Yesterday, during the St Patrick’s Day celebration President Trump said the summit was cancelled. “We’re resetting the meeting and it looks like it’ll take place in about five weeks,” President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office in an event with Micheál Martin, the Irish prime minister.

Today, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed there is no scheduled replacement date for the cancelled summit.

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Keep watching.  Bessent and Greer didn’t go to Paris for nothing.

Mar 17 2026

Iran, Russia, China, and the Emerging Axis


Posted originally on Mar 17, 2026 by Martin Armstrong |  

Flags of Russia, China, and Iran. Illustrative Image. (Photo: Open source)

For years, I have warned that geopolitics moves in cycles just as markets do. The Economic Confidence Model has been projecting that the period around 2026 would become a geopolitical turning point, leading to rising confrontation toward the Panic Cycle in 2027 and ultimately the 2028 Panic Cycle year. What we are now witnessing is the early stage of that alignment. The conflict with Iran is no longer merely a regional war. It is evolving into something far more significant as alliances that previously existed quietly in the background are now being acknowledged publicly.

Iran’s foreign minister has now openly stated that Russia and China are providing military cooperation to Tehran during the war with the United States and Israel. He emphasized that these relationships are part of long-standing strategic partnerships that now include intelligence sharing and other forms of support as the conflict escalates. This matters enormously because once cooperation becomes official rather than discreet, it changes the geopolitical landscape. The declaration of alignment is a signal to the world that a new bloc is forming.

Reports indicate that Russia’s support has included intelligence assistance and battlefield data, while China has focused on diplomatic backing, logistical assistance, and the protection of energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Chinese naval assets have appeared near the Strait while Russia and China have coordinated diplomatic efforts at the United Nations to challenge the legitimacy of the strikes against Iran. None of this is accidental. These powers are not rushing troops into battle, but they are positioning themselves strategically while allowing the United States to become entangled in another prolonged conflict.

In the modern era, direct confrontation between nuclear powers is avoided, but support flows through intelligence, logistics, technology, and diplomacy. Russia and China are effectively helping Iran sustain resistance without crossing the line into direct war with the United States. Analysts already note that intelligence sharing and electronic warfare assistance have improved Iran’s ability to track U.S. military movements in the region. The result is a conflict that can drag on far longer than policymakers initially expect.

2023_01_08_Russia_and_Iran_building_full_fledged_alliance

From the perspective of the Economic Confidence Model, this is exactly what a Panic Cycle environment looks like. Confidence begins to shift away from government institutions, geopolitical tensions escalate, and alliances begin to harden. The ECM has shown that 2026 represents the pivot year. Pressure builds into 2027, where the Panic Cycle raises the probability of sudden geopolitical escalation, and the cycle then carries forward into the 2028 Panic Cycle year. When these cycles align, history shows that global alliances restructure and the world moves toward a new balance of power.

Energy routes make the situation even more dangerous. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the most critical chokepoints in global oil supply, and disruptions there have already sent energy prices sharply higher as the conflict intensifies. China’s interest in securing passage through the strait and Russia’s strategic positioning highlight that the battle is not only military. It is economic. Whoever controls the energy corridors and trade routes ultimately controls leverage over the global economy.

The key takeaway is that the official acknowledgement of cooperation among Iran, Russia, and China goes beyond wartime rhetoric. It signals that the geopolitical chessboard is shifting. What began as a regional confrontation now sits within a larger strategic framework that the ECM warned about years in advance. When alliances begin to crystallize during a Panic Cycle phase, the risk is not simply prolonged conflict. The risk is that the world divides into opposing blocs once again, and history shows that such realignments rarely unfold quietly.

Mar 16 2026

All Things Considered – A Good Geopolitical Recap


Posted originally on CTH on March 15, 2026 | Sundance

Some additional contexts not included in the British-centric financial review below.

(1) Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will be at the White House next week.  This meeting was scheduled several weeks before Operation Epic Fury began.  The timeline continues to indicate that President Trump’s primary geopolitical focus is on China, not necessarily the U.K-EU angle, although that is a materially significant overlay.

(2) “A major U.S. weapons package for Taiwan worth about 14 billion dollars is awaiting approval from Donald Trump and could be announced after his planned visit to China later this month, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The proposed deal would be the largest U.S. arms sale ever to Taiwan and comes as military tensions between China and the self-ruled island continue to rise.” {SOURCE}

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Heavenly Father, we ask for You to protect our leadership’s intent through value-driven stewardship.  Keep arrogance and pride far from the heart of our leadership and help them to listen well. Dear God, we ask that You provide spiritual protection and intellectual discernment; provide calm through troubled waters, and space for wisdom to enter the hearts and minds of our national leadership keeping their bold influence aligned with Christ’s example. ~ Amen

Mar 15 2026

President Trump Calls on Oil Dependent Nations to Send Military Ships to Backstop Security in Hormuz


Posted originally on CTH on March 14, 2026 | Sundance 

President Trump’s latest two messages via Truth Social present an interesting geopolitical approach with multiple enmeshed aspects.

First, some background context is needed.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and USTR Jamieson Greer are in Paris to meet with Chinese government officials ahead of a scheduled meeting between Chairman Xi Jinping and President Trump.

The main objective of the pre-summit assembly before President Trump goes to Beijing, is to hammer out the actionable agreement details that can be signed off by Xi and Trump.  Bessent and Greer are looking to put a deal together with their Chinese counterparts so that Trump and Xi can announce mutually beneficial outcomes during their summit.

Second, President Trump has already indicated the March 31/April 1 meeting with Xi will be all business. The traditional pomp and splendor will not be present, and Trump will only be visiting Beijing – no sidelines.

Third, Secretary Rubio will be accompanying Trump on this trip to Beijing, which might seem ordinary were it not for the fact that in 2020 China sanctioned and banned Rubio from entering China for criticizing Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

Fourth, there are rumors that President Trump is going to announce a significant weapons deal with Taiwan at some point immediately following the trip.  If those rumors are true, it would be a top priority for the Chinese advance team in Paris to stop that from happening.

Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, President Trump will be meeting with Chairman Xi with full Eagle eye confrontation toward the returning dragon stare.  There will be no panda mask on this trip whatsoever; this face to face is an apex predator showdown, while the world watches intently.

Everything President Trump does between now and his arrival in Beijing, should be contemplated through this adversarial position.  With strong moves in Venezuela and Iran President Trump has already pulled Chairman Xi into the jianshu circle, showing the soul of his blade.

Chairman Xi does not have anything resembling a retreat position. He has a highly focused domestic audience, and the eyes from the Great Hall of the People will be watching intensely.

In the next two weeks we will likely see critical probes of both Trump and Xi’s wills surface in ancillary stories connected to each stakeholder, most likely swirling around the Iran conflict. Do not be surprised if we see all of the advanced USA influence purchasing by China now activated with very specific anti-Trump narratives.

That is the context for President Trump to call out many of the oil dependent countries:

TRUTH SOCIAL – “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close-range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are.

Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated. In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE! President DONALD J. TRUMP

There is a significant overlay here.

First, any nation that sends supportive military ships into the Strait of Hormuz is openly taking a position against the Iranian regime.  China cannot take that position, and President Trump knows it – so he’s calling out the dragon’s alignment for the world to see.

…. If you get oil from the region, come protect your ships while I kill the bad guys…

Remember, Japan has a very limited military, and their post-World War II constitution was blocking them from building one.  Changing that position was the goal of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a friend of Trump, and he was traveling throughout Japan with that message when he was assassinated.  That objective now falls to the protege’ of Abe, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Japan is included on that list of countries specifically to antagonize the dragon, with President Trump saying I have a strong industrial friend in your back yard.

For the rest, notice the countries Trump did not name: India, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines or any of the Asian countries that are dependent on oil from the middle east.   Trump is not asking the dependency allies of the United States to participate. Instead, President Trump is calling upon the fake-ally countries that oppose the United States but hide behind a friendly smiling mask.

This is a bold underline for President Trump’s former statement where he publicly doubted the NATO allies would ever come to assist the USA (ie. Greenland), even though they are dependent on the security the USA provides.

In this Iranian conflict, the Europeans are dependent on oil from the middle east, but they will not put their military into the fight even if it secures their own economic future.  Opening the Strait of Hormuz benefits the Europeans, but they only want to pontificate grand prose about it; similar to how they pontificated about the threat Iran presented, then lost their supportive tongue when Trump finally did something about it.

A few hours later, President Trump drives home the point:

TRUTH SOCIAL – “The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be — It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace!” President DONALD J. TRUMP

Now we wait to see who steps up.

Spoiler Alert – ¹No one will!

¹And that’s the point Trump is making.

I also concur with this point:

Shanaka Anslem Perera: “The coalition call is not about Iran. Iran’s military is destroyed. The coalition call is about the world that emerges after Iran. If America escorts the tankers alone, the Strait reopens under American control and dollar pricing survives. If a coalition escorts them, the Strait reopens under international consensus and the yuan-for-Hormuz proposal dies. If nobody escorts them, the Strait stays closed and China’s shadow fleet is the only commerce moving through it.”

Mar 14 2026

Ahead of Paris Meeting with Chinese Trade Officials, USTR Jamieson Greer Discusses Goals and Objectives


Posted originally on CTH on March 13, 2026 | Sundance 

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are traveling to Paris this weekend to meet with the Chinese trade officials.  This meeting is in advance of President Trump’s visit to China for direct face-to-face discussions with Chairman Xi Jinping.

Given the recent events in Venezuela and Iran a lot of groundwork must be taking place for the Trump-Xi meeting.  Multiple Chinese interests have been impacted directly.  USTR Jamieson Greer discusses those preparatory issues as well as the recent announcement for Section 301 investigations and tariffs.  WATCH:

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