From "The Economists" News Feed
▸ "China’s foreign minister will visit Seoul on Wednesday, as South Korea’s president seeks a formal end to the war with North Korea, China’s ally. The conflict has been frozen since the 1950s. On Sunday Donald Trump said America would scale back military exercises with the South, and called Kim Jong Un, the North’s dictator, “unthreatening and respectful”. American and South Korean politicians expressed alarm at his comments."
▸ "Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman—a long-standing American ally—if it “gets in the way” of talks with Iran. The president made his threat during a phone call with a Fox News reporter. Oman and Iran have been holding discussions about allowing more traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile 60-day truce between America and Iran expired on Monday."
"Spur of the Moment made on a Whim" is an apt description of Don's erratic and puzzling mini-screeds on how we should engage with friends and foes alike. While Don blusters other countries, like Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia sign defense co-operation agreements that bind them to each other, suggesting that we're losing our place at the head of the table, any table.