From ‘Quiet Province' to ‘Strategic Beachhead': New Book Reveals Beijing's Escalating Influence Operations in PEI
Published on Aug. 5, ' Canada Under Siege: How Prince Edward Island Became a Forward Operating Base for the Chinese Communist Party' reveals how the Party has carried out operations in P.E.I. through strategic land purchases and influence activities as part of a broader global campaign for covert domination.
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New York Post
19 minutes ago
- New York Post
Why Trump is starting ‘not to give a crap' if TikTok goes dark — at least briefly
President Trump is starting 'not to give a crap' if TikTok briefly goes dark as the end to the latest ban extension looms, On The Money has learned. Trump has tired of China dangling TikTok as a carrot to gain an advantage in ongoing trade talks over tariffs, people with knowledge of the discussions said. The two sides have been close to a trade deal, Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said in recent days, ahead of next Tuesday's deadline for an agreement. 3 There's a 50-50 shot TikTok fades to black come the Sept. 17 deadline for a deal – at least for a while until both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping settle on a trade pact that includes keeping the app live. Donald Pearsall / NY Post Design But those talks could also stretch into the fall as they hammer out the final details, Bessent has suggested. That's why the betting inside the TikTok deal pool is that there's a 50-50 shot it fades to black come the Sept. 17 deadline for a TikTok deal – at least for a while until both Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping settle on a trade pact that includes keeping the app live. You might be thinking that Trump just might kick the can down the road with another executive order extension, right? Well not so fast, I am told, including by one person close to the TikTok talks who relayed the lack of 'crap' Trump feels if the video-sharing app is briefly yanked. The deal only works if US investors are ready to put up tens of billions of dollars to buy the app from the Chinese company ByteDance, and if the Chinese are willing to give up enough control to satisfy the ban law. 3 The deal only works if US investors are ready to put up tens of billions of dollars to buy the app from the Chinese company ByteDance, and if the Chinese are willing to give up enough control to satisfy the ban law. AFP via Getty Images Investors, however, are getting nervous over the multiple extensions by Trump that appear to be circumventing established law. They fear there might come a point when Congress says enough. Also, China wants to retain a minority stake in the company and ownership of the all-important app that keeps users engaged by offering them a nonstop supply of preferred videos. Investors are hearing from China-hawks in Congress — those who really believe the app's user data is used by the Chinese surveillance state for spy-craft purposes — that even a minority stake by the Chinese might violate the law. 3 TikTok supporters in 2023 protesting against a ban. Getty Images If so, and if they agreed to a deal, these investors could be on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars of liability if let's say a less deal-friendly DOJ after Trump leaves office brings a case given the way the ban law is written. Some private investors are demanding indemnification or their out. Trump may also be losing patience with the whole TikTok saga. He has touted that he has multiple buyers to create what is essentially a new US company to keep it alive, but people involved in the deal doubt that he will allow Xi to use it as a bargaining chip in the broader trade deal, I am told. He isn't going to give up a lot just to keep TikTok alive, they predict. A White House spokesman had no comment. TikTok and its estimated 170 million US users got a new lease on life after its once fiercest critic, Trump, pulled a major U-turn. He wanted it banned when he was president the first time, believing it was used by the Chinese surveillance state for nefarious purposes. More recently, he wanted it saved after he came to believe pro-Trump messaging on the app helped him win in 2024 by turning a swath of TikTok's youngish users into die-hard MAGA supporters. Just hours into his second term, Trump overruled bipartisan legislation signed into law by President Biden and upheld by the Trump-friendly Supreme Court that banned the app unless it divested from the Chinese by Jan. 19. Through executive orders he has extended the life of the app several times since.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
US Ally Throws Down Gauntlet at China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. doubled down in his country's long-running maritime dispute with China on Thursday, vowing not to "cede one square inch" of territory claimed by Beijing. Marcos also said the Philippines would inevitably be involved in a potential war over Taiwan, prompting Beijing to warn the U.S. ally against "playing with fire." Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment. Why It Matters Marcos's remarks, given to the Indian news site Firstpost, came during a four-day state visit to India—his first since taking office three years ago. Marcos and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced they were elevating ties to the level of a strategic partnership and would strengthen cooperation in a range of areas, including security. Both countries are locked in territorial disputes with China: India over the mountainous border in the Himalayas, and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Beijing claims sovereignty over most of the busy waterway, where Chinese coast guard vessels, research ships, and paramilitary forces have encroached into Manila's exclusive economic zone—sometimes resulting in clashes. Territorial Disputes "Let me say it again, the Philippines will not cede one square inch of our territory. We will not give up the exercise of our sovereign rights. Ever," Marcos told Firstpost. Asked whether the Philippines, which last year became the first country to purchase India's BrahMos cruise missiles, was eyeing additional arms purchases from New Delhi, the president replied: "Everything's on the table." "The Philippines is in the midst of a modernizationof our military…So we are looking to see what's the most suitable for our defense needs," Marcos said. "Let me be clear though: we are not girding up for war. We are simply reacting to the challenges that we are facing." Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, right, listens to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ceremonial reception at India's presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on August 5, 2025. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, right, listens to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ceremonial reception at India's presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on August 5, Philippines is in the midst of a $35 billion military modernization campaign. Marcos said the upgraded equipment makes the country more interoperable with its allies, chiefly the United States. As important as weapons procurement, he added, was defense cooperation with key partners that have a stake in the Indo-Pacific—partners such as India. On Monday, on the first day of his visit, ships of the Indian navy joined their first-ever joint exercise with the Philippines in the South China Sea, within the Southeast Asian country's maritime zone. Marcos said the Philippines is "not against anyone." However, he said tensions "have increased." Adding to regional tensions is China's claim to Taiwan. Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to bring the self-ruled democracy under its control, raising fears of a conflict that could draw in the U.S. and allied militaries. The Philippines' northernmost province of Batanes lies about 100 miles from the southern tip of Taiwan. The country also hosts U.S. troops and weapons systems at several shared bases, which would likely come into play in any regional conflict. War Over Taiwan "If there is a confrontation over Taiwan between China and the United States, there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it, simply because of our physical geographic location," Marcos said. "If there is all-out war, then we will be drawn into it, and I assure you with the greatest hesitation. But we will have to defend our territory and our sovereignty," he added. The "most considerable concern" at the outbreak of war would be the roughly 160,000 Filipino migrant workers currently living in Taiwan, Marcos said. "That would be immediately a humanitarian problem, because we will have to get involved…or find a way to go in there and to bring our people home." China Hits Back The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a public statement: "The Philippines…has kept making wrong and provocative remarks and actions, kept fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, and kept harming the China-Philippines relations." "China firmly opposes this. The Chinese Foreign Ministry and embassy in the Philippines have lodged serious protests with the Philippine side."
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Trump's Canada tariff carve-out spares most products — for now
President Trump's top-line tariffs of 35 percent on Canada are among the highest in the world. However, most imports from America's northern neighbor could be spared thanks to sweeping exemptions under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiated during Trump's first term. The USMCA allows products to be traded duty-free if they significantly originate from North America — a carve-out that currently applies to some 90 percent of products coming down over the northern border, and could potentially apply to more. That means products that originate in Canada, such as minerals, most agricultural products, and meat and fish (as well as goods taken from outer space), will skirt Trump's 35 percent tariff. USMCA's rules of origin also exempt most products that are manufactured in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, even if their components are imported from other countries. 'In theory, anything could qualify for USMCA if the parts and components are available from Canadian, Mexican or U.S. producers,' said Ted Murphy, a customs and trade lawyer. 'If you don't qualify today, you know exactly why you don't qualify and you can change your behavior tomorrow.' Compliance with the agreement wasn't always routine. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) estimated that only about 38 percent of Canadian exports to the U.S. in 2024 aligned with the treaty's rules, although all but 6 percent of exports could eventually be made compliant. 'The juice may not have been worth the squeeze,' Murphy said of why exporters weren't coming into compliance. 'What President Trump has done is change that calculus.' Now, with companies rushing to declare their imports compliant to avoid higher tariffs, the RBC estimated that America's effective tariff on Canada in June was about 2.4 percent under a 25 percent blanket tariff, among the lowest of U.S. trading partners. The specific impact of the 35 percent tariff is also muddied by section-specific levies, such as a 25 percent duty on all foreign cars — an often-fraught spot for American trade negotiations with its North American neighbors as Trump seeks to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. The president has also instituted 50 percent rates on steel and aluminum, both major Canadian exports to the U.S., which The Globe and Mail estimated as accounting for about 60 percent of American tariff revenue collected from Canada in June. Some key Canadian sectors that would ordinarily be USMCA-exempt are subject to specific tariffs imposed earlier this year, including energy and petroleum (10 percent) and lumber (about 25 percent, although this could rise in the coming days). Other products have remained untouched by Trump. The president has railed against strict Canadian limits on American dairy exports and threatened to tax Canadian dairy into the U.S., but he has not followed through so far. For now, maple syrup and the equipment used for it are also safe, according to an industry group. The White House's unpredictable approach to tariffs has posed broader problems for Canadian exporters, said Gaphel Kongtsa, a trade expert at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce — in some ways irrespective of the final rate charged. 'Many of these supply chains are decades old at this point and are mature and require parts and goods going back and forth across the Canadian-U.S. border multiple times before they're finished,' he said. 'The predictability and stability that underpin that type of fluid and frequent commerce has been called into question.' Kongtsa added that ensuring USMCA compliance may be more difficult for smaller businesses without trade specialists or brokers to help them navigate U.S. import rules. Nathan Janzen, an economist at the Royal Bank of Canada, wrote in an analysis this week that while Canada was in a stronger tariff position than other countries, it could still be dragged down by any American economic downturn. 'The concern remains, though, that U.S. tariff hikes have been so large —and uncertainty so high surrounding their announcements—that U.S. economic growth will slow with negative implications for close U.S. trade partners like Canada,' he wrote. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended the tariff hikes on Canada this week as preserving America's negotiating stance. 'If the president's going to take an action, and the Canadians retaliate, the United States needs to maintain the integrity of our action, the effectiveness. So, we have to go up,' Greer said on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' Under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada initially instituted reciprocal tariffs in response to Trump. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who assumed office in late April, has largely held off on further escalation and has instead engaged in talks with the White House. Trump has justified tariffs on Canada as a way of combating what he characterized as a flow of fentanyl over the northern border. Customs and Border Protection seized a total of 3.37 pounds of fentanyl on the Canadian border in June. While USMCA currently shields the majority of Canadian goods, the agreement is set to be reauthorized in July 2026, a review period during which the White House could seek significant changes, particularly around cars or manufacturing. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on CBS in mid-July that Trump would 'absolutely' want to rehash USMCA. 'He wants to protect American jobs. He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they could be built in Michigan and Ohio. It's just better for American workers,' he said. Murphy ventured that the 35 percent tariff could be leveraged for future trade negotiations as USMCA reauthorization looms. 'There is a theory that, really, the trade battle with Canada is coming. It's not here now,' he said.
