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US president DJT on the craziness of UK, China, Japan, India getting their oil and gas from Hormuz Straits after frequent disruptions over 40 years. And expecting US to keep lanes open, expecting the US to do this alone when US is self sufficient and exports oil and gas in 2026. UK, China, Japan and India does not want a wider war, US also does not want a wider war, and has asked these countries to stop shopping for the best price and find alternative sources of oil and gas for many years. China and Japan get 90% of their oil from the Hormuz Straits region- the US president is asking does that even make sense? Are they doing this because it is cheaper, ignoring the other costs, and the hidden costs of unreliable supplies to the poorest countries paying $125-150 a barrel? Germany has set a better example for these countries to follow getting only 6% of its oil and gas from the Hormuz Straits and being far ahead in renewable energy. China and Japan, South Korea are oblivious of all that has happened, the disruptions in supplies of the last 40 years, and have made no serious effort to find alternative sources and supplies. Whatever happens in coming weeks Mr President DJT has a point. Even more so as the MAGA base has insisted on a focus on domestic policy and problems, the Biden base also had the same desire to focus on domestic policy and problems. Nothing should divert from this focus, particularly the needs of countries that have not made changes in energy policy and logistics they should have a long time back. ...

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Orange juice from Brazil, copper from Chile, electronics and pharma from India, and aircraft from EU, are part of broad exemptions in US tariffs plans. The exemptions are designed to give flexibility to US negotiators where it helps the US economy to import these items. 

This month negotiating teams from Japan, EU, South Korea and othere countries are trying to get exemptions for other items. BMW is seeking export rebates for exports of SUV's to EU from its US factories. And VW is seeking to use investments it says it will make in the US manufacturing as a way to get exemptions in tariffs or lower tariff rate similar to the way Apple has negotiated a tariff exemption for its Chinese exports to the US by saying it will invest $100 billion in the US manufacturing. US negotiators have to get the firm guarantees that these investments are going to be made.

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South Korea face population decline for the first time in its recent history. The lack of job opportunities for young people, the burden of providing an elite education that parents aspire to for children limiting families to one or two children, and women marrying later at age of 33 years instead of 29, are some reasons for the decline. The pandemic has worsened the situation creating more insecurity. 

With this trend comes an aging society as in Germany and Japan. Statistics Korea predicts average age of population will rise from median 43 in coming decades.

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Bide meets British prime minister Starmer in Wasnhington as Britain is ready to approve use of its long range missile systems inside Russia. This comes as Russia is about to gain control of the Donetsk region. Republicans other than Mr. Trump and his supporters are for stronger support to Ukraine following US policy of opposing invasion to achieve military goals since 1900 against the Japanese in China and the Vietnam War was fought on the same basis in the 1960's considering the South Vietnamese state as an independent republic, just  invaded by the north, by North Vietnam, just as the US had done in the Korean War between North and South Korea. In the Vietnam War nationalism played apart with the Vietnamese nationalism prevailing by 1970. Russians see Kiev as the origin of the Russian State in the 9th century, and eastern region of Donetsk as Russian if western Ukraine seeks to join NATO and EU. Britain has opposed Russia since 1750 as it saw Russia as the threat to an Empire it was building in South Asia, in India that financially supported its Empire worldwide for 200 years till about 1950. Britain engaged in the Crimean War against Russia so that along with the French it could control Turkey and its Ottoman states in the Arab Middle East under the guise of trade. This effort was pushed back by Kemal Ataturk in the 1920's when he founded the modern state of Turkey in Ankara. ...

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At a time when multilateral financial and other institutions are not working properly on behalf of countries in the Global South, the G20 is seen as the place where the poor countries can find a voice. The African Union was admitted to the G20 nations with the support of India and the US at the New Delhi Summit. Before this the only nation from Africa was South Africa. The other countries are the original G8- US, Canada, Germany, France, European Union, Britain, Italy, Japan. These countries represented the already advanced economies. To these nations were added the newly advanced economies of Russia, South Korea and China, Australia for 11 economies. The 7 rapidly developing nations added are India, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.

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As an outside with no political experience Park won 3 terms as mayor of Seoul. He was a prominent civil rights lawyer, helping win South Korea's first sexual harassment case in early 1990's. Now he is dead after taking his life in a situation where a former secretary filed a sexual misconduct case at a Seoul police precinct 2 days earlier, making all of Seoul pause in disbelief at what has happened. As a human rights lawyer who struggled during the dictatorships in the 1980's he will be mourned as someone with so much potential for South Korea, say people who watched him over 30 years. 

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The covid test requirement applies for entry to the US from China and South Korea. It also includes airports in Canada at Vancouver and Toronto. Japan and India have their own covid test requirements for travelers from China following the surge in cases in China in December 2022 after all covid restrictions are removed.

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Supply chains are unraveling in many industries with the tariffs imposed by president Trump on imports from China, and renegotiated trade deals with South Korea and other countries. The growth in the value of foreign value added was possible with cuts in tariffs in the period after 1990 and the emergence of China as a low cost manufacturer with cheap labor. Foreign value added increased from 20% in 1990 to 30% in 2011. The impact on factory towns and communities in the U.S. of trade in which the U.S. manufacturing declined as it shifted to China resulted in the surge in support for president Trump. The tariffs war with China is an effort to correct this imbalance. The result is a shift in supply chains away from China in some industries and gradual shift in others. Rising wages in China had already resulted in early shifts and the the environmental costs adding to this trend. President Trump temporarily suspended a threatened imposition of duties of 25% on $325 billion of Chinese imports. A renegotiated Nafta agreement with Mexico for automobile production and determination of U.S. based content and wages was designed to reset the relationship with Mexico and the auto supply chain for production in Mexico. A threat of tariffs on European auto imports to the U.S. is set for a decision in November. The trade dispute between Japan and South Korea and threat of tariffs also shows the effect this is having in other countries. With the U.S. looking at its own interest in the global supply chain and its advantage or disadvantage, industries and companies are not free to make decisions based on which country offers the best arrangement and deal for manufacturing. Notions of competitive advantage in the tech race with China are affecting the way the U.S. and European nations are acting. ...

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Desolate 46 acre collection of two main islets and other specks of land with only one year long resident an octopus fisherman, 7 hours away from the Korean coatline, called Dokdo or solitary place, are the focus of contnetion between S.Korea and Japan, both claiming the specks of land and arousing much controversy since 2005 when the issue flared up.

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Closing fast in Asian countries have helped these countries to reopen faster. South Korea and Taiwan are examples of swift action and the benefit of experience from past epidemics, public cooperation and understanding that is not as prevalent in the U.S. and Europe. SARS and MERS prepared Asian countries for this virus compared to countries in Europe and the U.S.

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The people in the U.S. are shifting to widespread use of masks. There was some cultural resistance in Europe and the U.S. to use of masks, compared to Japan, South Korea and China where the use of masks in epidemics was common in earlier health crises. Europe changed first and now the U.S. is adopting masks as a way to avoid th spread of coronavirus. Health authorites in the U.S. now recommend use of masks to prevent asymptomatic people with infection from spreading the infection. Health experts say the widespread use of masks in Asia is one reason in addition to quarantines, contact tracing and isolation of clusters, is how China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore have controlled coronavirus to the point where it is no longer a serious danger.

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China has banned crypto currency firms including Binance. Yet the ban is not fully enforced leading to about $90 billion in transactions in China in May 2023. The first and second biggest market for the Binance crypto exchange is China with 900,000 users, followed by South Korea and Turkey. In China about 100,000 Binance users are considered "politically exposed persons." 

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With housing and education costs jumping 42% of all households in South Korea are one person households. Books that are popularizing a new trend "Two Women Talk Together" by Kim and Hwang is a book that is popularizing the idea of two women living together, combining the benefit of being single yet having someone to talk to in a cohabiting arrangement. 

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US- China trade relations 2025 and XI's rare earth minerals export restrictions response to US tariffs. DJT resonse was 100% tariff on China from 57%. After meeting Xi in Busan, South Korea, after the APEC meetings, US settled on 10% reduction in tariffs from the 57% tariffs on Chinese products down now to 47%. The 100% tariff was withdrawn by DJT and China's Xi settled on withdrawing restrictions on exports of rare earth minerals. The fentanyl tariffs are still in place and the WSJ editorial says not much is likely to happen on fentanyl action by China to stop exports of fentanyl that reach the US through Mexico. China says it will take in soyabeans exports. US signs agreement with Australia to develop alternative supplies of rare earth minerals. The WSJ says for tariffs action to work US should not tariff allies. Yet broad tariffs action was necessary as partners Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the EU, Canada and Mexico were also nations that created an unfair trade situation for the US. The US took action on all nations that take unfair advantage of free trade concepts to benefit them which also add to the credibility of tariffs as effort to restore fairness in world trade.  ...