Why Trump Is So Mad At Xi; More On Attack On Russia

This past week Trump went, um, nuclear on China’s Xi. “No more Mr. Niceguy!” Of course, it turns out that Trump—or whoever controls him—wasn’t actually being Mr. Niceguy. China was retaliating for outrageous behavior.

First Squawk @FirstSquawk

BESSENT : CHINA IS HOLDING BACK PRODUCTS ESSENTIAL TO INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CHAIN -CBS INTERVIEW]

Wow! That’s so mean! And Trump had just saved China from collapse!

Actually …

Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand

This is why Trump is angry, as per the WSJ (https://wsj.com/world/china/u-s-china-trade-truce-risks-falling-apart-over-rare-earth-exports-c36ceb72…): after the talks in Geneva the U.S. decided to adopt new rules banning the use of Huawei's new AI chips "anywhere in the world" (which, insanely, includes China), which China said "seriously undermined consensus reached at the high-level bilateral talks in Geneva."

In response China is slow-walking approvals for export licenses of rare earths, and US automakers are warning the White House that "auto plants may have to idle in pandemic-style stoppages" as a result.

So no, it isn't Trump being punished "for being Mr Nice Guy"

Oh.

Luke Gromen @LukeGromen

A logical response [by China] to the US holding back products essential to the technology & AI supply chain.

Follow on question [to Bessent] should be "Secretary, less than two months ago, you told Tucker Carlson that as the debtor, the US has virtually all the leverage. Are you revising that view?"

And meanwhile Trump’s Zhou 2.0 foreign policy continues with Hegseth giving insane lying speeches attacking China, telling Asian countries that a Chinese attack could be “imminent”:

Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand

Speaks volume about the "change" that Trump supposedly brings when the former Assistant Secretary of Defense calls his policy in Asia "near total continuity with the previous administration" 

Like Julius Nyerere, former Tanzania president, once said: "The United States is also a one-party state but, with typical American extravagance, they have two of them."

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Ely Ratner @elyratner

Rhetoric aside, on actual defense policy Secretary Hegseth's speech was near total continuity with the previous administration. That's good, but we'll need heightened urgency, attention, and resources to address the China challenge.

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After Trump’s re-election I maintained that Trump must have made some serious deals in order for the Deep State to allow him to be re-elected and take office. Is this turning out to be more true than I even thought?

Last week I watched a video of Larry Wilkerson. He was questioned about the hot topic of the day—how could Trump seriously say that he was unaware of the Ukrainian attempt to down Putin’s helicopter, when it was clearly a NATO supported op? CIA/MI6. Wilkerson maintained that the scary scenario was that Trump may have been telling the truth to the reporter (who HAD been informed of the attempt). What that would mean, said Wilkerson, was that the Deep State—and primarily CIA—is TOTALLY out of control. I’ll be interested to hear what Wilkerson has to say about the drone attacks on Russian strategic bombers. In my initial post this morning I stated that this was almost certainly a NATO supported op—I said that just because it’s well known and reported that CIA/MI6 have been training and supporting Ukrainian/ISIS sabotage/terror groups who operate inside Russia. Here’s how ayden puts it:

This is Ukraines big show, they’re now expending 6-12 months of intelligence and sabotage operation planning right before negotiations are set to begin. Destroy a few bombers, kill some civilians by derailing trains, assassinations utilizing suicide bombers and whatever other card that have yet to be played.

Exactly. This was a very big op. It got massive support from highly professional outfits with lots of money and other resources.

There are people out there who are warning that what goes around could come around:

Tyler Rogoway @Aviation_Intel

For over a decade I have outlined the exact scenario as we just saw in Russia. It could happen in the U.S. tomorrow. This was a pivotal event. U.S. military and political leadership cannot live in partial denial of this threat anymore. Our most prized aircraft are sitting ducks.

Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand

There needs to be a meme for this  if it doesn't yet exists:

Panel 1: Does the thing to others (in this case, hiding military assets in civilian infrastructure)

Panel 2: This is why we can't trust others to not do the thing to us

Leonid Ragozin @leonidragozin

Drones flying out of a truck (whose driver had no idea) near a strategic airbase - three bases in total - is a spectacular operation of Ukrainian secret services.

Also, the future of organised crime and terrorism all around the world. This war will have a grim, long-lasting legacy.

The problem with this attack is that anyone can play this game against absolutely anybody. Notably including the Russians when they need to engage in what they call asymmetrical warfare. The genie goes out of the bottle.

6:50 AM · Jun 1, 2025

Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand

Essentially it's the same type of action as Israel's pager attack, turning civilian supply chains into potential weapon delivery systems and making them inherently suspect.

It should be deeply troubling to anyone thinking through the sheer irresponsibility of the precedent set.

More on where this leads:

DD Geopolitics @DD_Geopolitics

 Ukraine Attacks Russian Strategic Nuclear Assets on Eve of Istanbul Negotiations

Just before planned talks in Istanbul, Ukraine has massively escalated the conflict by targeting key Russian strategic military sites.

Using trucks loaded with FPV drones, Ukrainian forces struck several Russian airbases. Footage from Olenya Airbase shows multiple Tu-95 strategic bombers being hit. Belaya Airbase—yes, in Irkutsk—was also attacked. This base houses Tu-22M3 long-range bombers. In addition, there are reports of Dyagilevo Airbase in Ryazan coming under drone assault as well.

The drones were reportedly launched from trucks positioned near the airfields. In the Olenya incident, some sources claim the truck driver may not have known what he was transporting until the drones began launching from the cargo area.

One thing is undeniable: Ukraine deliberately attacked Russian nuclear strategic assets just before scheduled negotiations. There is no longer any point in engaging in talks with the Kiev regime. Let’s hope the Russian authorities fully understand that.

And let this serve as a wake-up call—being far from the front line does not mean an asset is safe.

And yet again, the big question is: What did Trump know and when did he know it? Or, does he know it yet? And can we believe anything he may say? We’re already getting mixed signals:

DD Geopolitics @DD_Geopolitics

Axios: Ukraine informed the Trump admin in advance about today's drone attacks on Russian airfields.

CBS: Trump officials deny any prior knowledge. Conflicting U.S. reports raise questions about Washington’s foreknowledge—or involvement—in Kiev’s terror strikes on Russian strategic aviation.

Someone, somewhere, is playing with fire.