"Trump flew home to chaos war with Iran, surging gas prices, spectacular unpopularity, friction with former allies and a 20th-century policy of energy dominance that seeks to turn back the clock, use tariffs and military threats to open markets, and enrich his supporters in the fossil fuel industry. The long dominant superpower increasingly appears a malignant force as it pushes the world towards ever greater turbulence."
"Xi, meanwhile, presides over a country that has invested more than any other in renewable energy, which has helped to buffer its economy from the gas price shocks caused by the conflict in the Middle East, while opening up huge new export markets for solar panels, wind turbines, smart grids and electric vehicles. While the Chinese president's Communist party still faces criticism for its suppression of dissent, its soft power deficit no longer seems so great when its main global rival is killing protesters at home and bombing schoolchildren overseas."
"One thing was crystal clear from the two days of meetings: the global balance of power is shifting, from the declining petrostate in the west to the rising electrostate in the east. History has prov"
Trump left Beijing claiming trade deals for US oil, jets, and soya beans, but confirmation was lacking. Two days of meetings showed a changing balance of power, with the petrostate in decline and an electrostate in rise. After returning home, the US faced war with Iran, surging gas prices, major unpopularity, and friction with former allies. The policy approach emphasized energy dominance through tariffs and military threats to open markets and enrich fossil fuel supporters. China, by contrast, invested heavily in renewable energy, buffering its economy from Middle East gas price shocks and expanding exports in solar, wind, smart grids, and electric vehicles. Despite domestic repression, its soft power deficit appears smaller as the US escalates violence abroad.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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