USA and China still ‘very far apart’ on trade; Europe wants to keep trading with Iran; China making Eurasian Union deal
Cover of the January-March 2018 edition of Bible News Prophecy
The USA and China are still quite far apart on trade:
15 May, 2018
The United States wants China to give a timetable on how it will open up its markets to US exports as the two countries are still “very far apart” on resolving trade frictions, US Ambassador to China Terry Branstad said on Tuesday.
Washington and Beijing have proposed tens of billions of dollars in tariffs in recent weeks, fanning worries of a full-blown trade war that could hurt global supply chains and dent business investment plans.
A US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin presented China earlier this month with a list of demands to tackle allegations of intellectual property theft and other trade policies Washington considers unfair.
The two countries failed to reach an agreement on the long list of US demands and decided to resume talks in Washington.
Branstad, who was present at the meeting, said the Chinese appeared to be “taken back” by the significance of the list.
“The Chinese have said ‘we want to see the specifics.’ We gave them all the specifics in terms of trade issues. So they can’t say they don’t know what we’re asking for,” he said.
“We’re still very far apart,” Branstad said, adding that China has not met pledges to open up its insurance and financial services area, as well as reduce car tariffs.
“There are many areas where China has promised to do but haven’t. We want to see a timetable. We want to see these things happen sooner than later,” he said at a conference in Tokyo.
Branstad also said US President Donald Trump would like to see a “dramatic increase” in food exports to China.
“We’d like to see China being just as open as the United States,” he said.
The Trump administration has drawn a hard line in trade talks with China, demanding a US$200 billion cut in the Chinese trade surplus with the United States, sharply lower tariffs and advanced technology subsidies.
The United States has proposed tariffs on US$50 billion of Chinese goods under its “Section 301” probe. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2146187/us-china-still-very-far-apart-trade-us-ambassador
Various ones see Donald Trump as promoting a trade war:
May 15, 2018
President Trump. Consider his latest trade war with Europe. …
Even more serious is the fallout from Trump’s disavowal of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran.
President Trump’s scrapping of that deal could set off new tensions in the region, including a strengthening of Iranian hardliners and an unleashing of a bellicose Israel. But that may not be the most serious fallout. Trump’s Iran policy is at risk of fracturing what’s left of the American alliance with Europe.
The Trump administration insists that any nation that does business with Iran will be in violation of the U.S. commercial boycott and will face stringent sanctions. That targets the EU, which supports the deal and did not want Trump to kill it.
After sanctions were lifted in 2015, Europe dramatically increased its trade and investment with Iran. Airbus has already begun delivering jetliners to Iran Air, a 100-plane deal worth billions. The French oil and gas company Total has a $5 billion deal to extract Iranian natural gas. Volkswagen exports cars to Iran, and Peugeot Citroen manufactures them there.
Under the U.S. sanctions regime, any European company that does business in or with Iran will be barred from doing business in the U.S. The U.S. Treasury has given European companies three to six months to end their dealings in or with Iran. …
Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, told a television interviewer, “We have to work among ourselves in Europe to defend our European economic sovereignty.” He added, “Do we want to be a vassal that obeys and jumps to attention?” Similar comments were heard in other European capitals. http://prospect.org/article/trump%E2%80%99s-gratuitous-damage-global-harmony
The European Union wants to trade with Iran:
15 May 2018
Tehran is being given assurances that European governments will seek to protect companies doing business in Iran from renewed US sanctions, as foreign ministers prepare to meet in Brussels to salvage the nuclear deal.
Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, met Federica Mogherini, the EU external affairs chief, on Tuesday morning and will meet the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK – the three European signatories to the deal – in the evening.
Iran wants assurances that EU trade with Iran will continue to grow, despite Donald Trump pulling the US out of the nuclear deal. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/15/eu-tells-iran-it-will-try-to-protect-firms-from-us-sanctions
WASHINGTON – The United States is expecting Europe to fall in line with its decision to reimpose harsh sanctions on Iran and disengage from Iran’s economy, after President Donald Trump‘s decision to exit the nuclear deal last week. …
Since Trump’s announcement last Tuesday, European diplomats have attempted to cast doubt over the administration’s chances of getting Europe to pull out of business dealings with the Islamic Republic. Officials in Paris, Berlin and Brussels said their governments will work to “defend” Europe’s financial interests and, with that, the very survival of the nuclear deal. 05/14/18 https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-bolton-europe-won-t-have-choice-but-to-join-u-s-sanctions-on-iran-1.6078743
The Iranian matter will increase international trade in Euros and away from the USA dollar. That will not help the USA in the long-run.
Various nations do not like the policies that Donald Trump has advocated. China is one. Europe (see Martin Schultz blasts Donald Trump: Some EU leaders believe they would ‘win’ a trade war with the USA), Russia (see Russia warns of full-scale trade war over US sanctions), Mexico & Japan (see ‘Trump overrules cabinet, plots global trade war’) are others. Trade wars have been listed as part of the 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018 (here is a link to a related sermon: 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018).
China plans to sign a trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union:
15 May 2018
China is set to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) this Thursday in Astana, Kazakhstan. Acting Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov made the statement to the Tass News Agency yesterday, confirming that the agreement on trade and economic cooperation would be going ahead. …
The EAEU comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. The economic union has a population of 183 million people and a gross domestic product of more than US$4 trillion, and has been growing at trade volume rates of 30 percent per annum.
Russia and China have already been in talks to link the EAEU with China’s Belt & Road Initiative in plans outlined by presidents Putin and Xi last December. Bilateral trade between China and Russia is set to hit US$100 billion this year, according to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, while the pace of growth within the China-Russia trade corridor has been outstripping that of China-EU trade, and is also growing at a 30 percent annual rate.
“This FTA is a game-changer”, comments Chris Devonshire-Ellis. He continued, “It opens up the Russia-China and Central Asia-China trade corridors completely and provides alternative markets both for Russia and China. The trade impact of this agreement will be worth hundreds of billions of dollars per annum.” …
Vietnam is currently the only other Asian nation to possess an FTA with the EAEU, in a deal that has seen Russian investment into the country rise from close to zero to US$10 billion in just two years. http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2018/05/15/china-sign-free-trade-agreement-eurasian-economic-union-may-17.html
Trade is changing. Partially because of USA policies, statements, and sanctions, the world is changing. Many fear a USA-related trade war.
Coming trade wars were the cover story of the January-March 2018 edition of Bible News Prophecy magazine of the Continuing Church of God.
Trade issues were number 7 of the 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018 in an article I wrote in late 2017:
7. Trade
Not all warfare is militaristic. There is also economic warfare.
This often involves trade.
Notice some warnings from COG writers:
Trade War Looming to Trigger World War III?
Either we start raising high tariff barriers against other countries, starting a TRADE WAR which in time will trigger the nuclear war that will DESTROY US – or, American workers are going to have to MEET the competition of the workers in other countries , by lowering living standards. Obviously American workers are not going to choose to do the latter. And if they don’t – well, THE HANDWRITING IS ON OUR NATIONAL WALL. (Armstrong HW. Trade War Looming to Trigger World War III? Plain Truth, March 1971)
Dangerous Security Changes
Other experts warn that American political leaders — responding to calls for immediate competitive relief from their constituents — may be ignoring another lesson of the Great Depression: that the severe contraction of world trade gave added impetus to imperialist surges in Asia and Europe, specifically Japan and Germany.
Since 1945 Japan has chosen the mercantile road as its path to power, prestige and national restoration. Germany, specifically the Federal Republic of Germany, is heavily dependent upon world trade, exporting a full third of its manufactured goods.
Access to the U.S. market is central to the economies of Japan and the other nations of the Pacific Basin, writes National Review executive editor John McLaughlin, “and hence perhaps to their stability.” If protectionism takes hold, what would happen to Japan and to Western Europe, whose economic heart is in Germany? Protectionism, leading to a full-blown trade war, would likely break the extensive joint defense relationships between the U.S. and its primary World War II foes, now allies for the past 40 years.
Americans should then prepare to witness the emergence of a nuclear — armed Japan as well as a nuclear — armed united Europe with Germany at its core. It’s doubtful whether the American public and its elected representatives have thought out the likely end results of actions now under way.
Former Senate majority leader Howard H. Baker Jr. sounded this warning: “The disastrous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 was rushed through Congress… and it took 14 years and a world war to straighten out the mess.” (Hogberg G. Prepare for Trade War! Plain Truth, January 1986)
The Brits will ultimately decide that they are more supportive of the Americans and Canadians. They will be so much more supportive that they will end up in a trading agreement with them (with the Australians and New Zealanders probably also becoming part of that agreement).
The EU will decide that Mexico and the rest of Latin America are in more agreement with it and thus make some type of serious trading agreement with most (or all) of Latin America. The Vatican will also have influence here as Latin America is highly Roman Catholic. (Thiel B. A Combined EU & North American Trade Block Coming? COGwriter.com, March 3, 2008)
Here is something from me a day before Donald Trump took office in 2017:
Trade wars have causalities and tariffs increase prices and can cause inflation.
Various nations will not like the policies that Donald Trump has advocated.
Trade wars have been listed as part of the Twelve ‘grey swan’ events to watch for in 2017?
Trade disputes are likely to be a factor that will lead to World War III. …
There is a cost to trade wars and tariffs. Those who think otherwise are fooling themselves. (Thiel B. ‘America’s Tariff Trouble’. COGwriter.com, January 19, 2017)
And much happened in 2017 affecting trade and pushing trade away from the USA.
Europe will get more involved.
For a time, Babylon will dominate world trade:
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” (Revelation 18:2-3).
While ‘Babylon’ will not reign in 2018, with the USA pulling out of trade deals and/or wishing to change them, steps are occurring that are pushing Europe to dominate trade (watch Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass?). The Europeans have been working with Latin America, China, Russia’s Eurasian Union, and other areas of the world to try to set up its dominance of world trade as well as standards for world trade.
Europe is getting more involved in trade disputes with the USA. Europe and China are looking more towards each other and the Eurasian Economic Union. Trade disputes with the USA will increase.
Trade will be a factor in the rise of Europe (cf. Revelation 18).
That will not end well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39) nor its Anglo-Saxon descended allies (cf. Daniel 8:24-25; Jeremiah 30:7).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass? Trade issues, tariffs, and talk of trade wars are in the news. Can trade wars lead to World War III like they did to World War II? Are the events going on with the USA, UK, Asia, and Europe consistent with warnings published by the true Church of God (COG) over the past several years and decades? Do Germany and China hope to take advantage of trade frictions involving the Trump Administration and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? What about Mexico and South America? Does the Bible teach that Europe will become a major trading power? Will the final European Babylonian trading power be destroyed? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
18 items to prophetically watch in 2018 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 18 in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon: 18 items to prophetically watch in 2018.
Donald Trump and Mexico’s future Mexico has increasingly been in the news because of statements and policies of US President Donald Trump. Many in Mexico are not intending to sit back and accept whatever Donald Trump attempts to force them to do. What will happen to Mexico? Will it make trade deals with Europe? Will it ultimately go to was against the USA? Will the Mexican economy drop at times and then improve? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more in this video.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan The US dollar has been the world’s primary reserve currency for decades. Is this about to change? What is going on with the Chinese yuan and oil and gold? What do the BRICS nations want? What did Venezuela do? Do the Europeans want to dislodge the US dollar as the world’s primary reserve currency? Does US debt play any role? Does the Bible tell us what will happen to the USA and its dollar? What happens if the USA loses its status? Will gold outlast the US dollar? Dr. Thiel addresses those issues and more in this video.
Gentile Cryptocurrency Proposal Two Russian leaders have called for a BRICS-wide and/or EAEU-wide cryptocurrency. This is hoped to be used to replace the US dollar for international trade. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The BRICS nations represent 3.6 billion people. The EAEU includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Will Gentiles rise up? Are there any prophetic ramifications of what these nations are looking to do? This is a video.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Forbes’ Brexit Monster is the Beast of Revelation Various ones have been properly convinced that there is a plan for a European superstate. Forbes’ writer Tom Worstall wrote that the Brexit vote was about the United Kingdom “not joining the monster of the European Union to come.” The Bible tells of a Beast monster that will arise in the end times in Europe. Dr. Thiel cites news reports, as well as the Old and New Testaments, to show that the monster many fear will arise in Europe, despite the vote by the British to exit the European Union.
Post Brexit Prophecy On June 23, 2016, the voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) chose to leave the European Union. Now with this BRitish EXIT (Brexit) vote, what is prophesied to happen to the UK? Will the UK do well or be taken over and made slaves? Dr. Thiel explains from biblical prophecies what is ahead for the UK, Europe, and even the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is a video.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Two YouTube video are Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? and China: A King of the East.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill? Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic? Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.
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