# Trump. China. And ZTE: Blatant Corruption? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2018, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203 "2018-05-15T10:54:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/1 "2018-05-15T10:54:54Z")
[https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2018/05/14/trump-tweet-twists-us-zte-stance-217971](https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2018/05/14/trump-tweet-twists-us-zte-stance-217971) > [@](#): > > 'President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast,’ the president wrote on Twitter. ‘Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!’” This was controversial, to say the least. This was followed up: > **[President Trump's defense of China's ZTE continues on Twitter](https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/president-trump-tweets-defense-of-his-push-to-save-zte/)** > > ZTE buys a lot of individual parts from US companies, he says. > [@](#): > > Trump said on Twitter on Monday that ZTE, the fourth-largest smartphone maker in the US by market share, “buys a big percentage of individual parts from U.S. companies.” HE also said ZTE was “reflective of the larger trade deal we are negotiating with China and my personal relationship with President Xi.” This makes the decision at least defensible. But… > **[China Contributing $500 Million to Trump-Linked Project in Indonesia |...](https://www.nationalreview.com/news/china-contributing-500-million-trump-linked-project-indonesia/)** > > The news comes amid contentious talks about the trade deficit between China and the U.S. > [@](#): > > The Chinese government is extending a $500 million loan to a state-owned construction company to build an Indonesian theme park that will feature a Trump-branded golf course and hotels. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/2 "2018-05-15T11:07:28Z")
I think it’s pretty safe to say that if there’s something connecting Trump to money, it’s not a coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/3 "2018-05-15T11:31:42Z")
It’s a coincidence in the same way that the sun rising in the east is a coincidence. MAGA! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/4 "2018-05-15T15:14:45Z")
There has been a huge number of “coincidences” like this. A government, business, or organization gives money to a Trump company. And the American government does something favorable for the government, business, or organization. > **[Corruption, Not Russia, Is Trump’s Greatest Political Liability](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/04/corruption-is-trumps-greatest-political-liability.html)** > > The president isn’t draining the swamp — he’s monetizing it. And Democrats need to make that clear in the midterms. > **[501 Days of Trump & Co. Stealing America Blind](https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/04/trump-and-co-are-stealing-america-blind-timeline.html)** > > A constant drip of corruption. And this is just what we know so far … ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/5 "2018-05-15T17:22:11Z")
How is this not straight-up bribery? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/6 "2018-05-15T17:28:16Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > How is this not straight-up bribery? It might be, but you’d have to prove a connection between the two. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/7 "2018-05-15T17:54:08Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > How is this not straight-up bribery? It is, but you’ve got an intractable voting block that will never believe one negative word about the conman in chief and will simply wave this away as fake news. They simply don’t care how corrupt this appears, they know their base will never hold them accountable for anything. And if they continue to pile up the offenses faster than Bob Mueller can investigate them, they can effectively run the clock out until Jan 20, 2021. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/8 "2018-05-15T18:11:07Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It is, but you’ve got an intractable voting block that will never believe one negative word about the conman in chief and will simply wave this away as fake news. > > They simply don’t care how corrupt this appears, they know their base will never hold them accountable for anything. And if they continue to pile up the offenses faster than Bob Mueller can investigate them, they can effectively run the clock out until Jan 20, 2021. If they’ve got a slam dunk case for Trump to be impeached or imprisoned, you don’t have to wait till he stops doing stuff. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/9 "2018-05-15T18:20:17Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It might be, but you’d have to prove a connection between the two. **post Trump ergo propter Trump** ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/10 "2018-05-15T18:23:00Z")
> [@Ashtura](#): > > If they’ve got a slam dunk case for Trump to be impeached or imprisoned, you don’t have to wait till he stops doing stuff. One would think so, however I think Mueller knows that this sorry lot in Congress would never impeach him even if there was a video tape of him promising Putin that he would turn the US into the American SSR and delivering the contents of Fort Knox to Putin. I think it’s better to wait until Pelosi reclaims the gavel, we may never get 2/3 of the Senate to convict but all the dirty laundry would be publicly aired in the trial. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/11 "2018-05-15T18:23:54Z")
Open corruption aside, how can Turmp supporters be OK with their guy saving Chinese jobs at a company that was helping Iran? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/12 "2018-05-15T18:28:06Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Open corruption aside, how can Turmp supporters be OK with their guy saving Chinese jobs at a company that was helping Iran? Because Trump’s doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/13 "2018-05-15T18:29:00Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > How is this not straight-up bribery? What’re ya gonna do about it, eh? It’s terrible but America is too busy sucking at the Mueller pacifier (which will never yield an impeachment despite always being oh so close and digging up gem after outrageous gem) to actually grab their torches and pitchforks and march to DC for a good old fashioned swamp-draining. Congress will continue to do nothing as hard as they possibly can about the twerp. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/14 "2018-05-15T21:25:09Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > What’re ya gonna do about it, eh? Vote for Democrats in November. Trump is only getting away with these things because he has a Republican House and Senate covering for him. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/15 "2018-05-15T21:31:20Z")
Keep in mind that the major US media has the attention span of a goldfish. “Ooh, looks like we should do a story on Trump’s corruption. Wait, he just tweeted about _Rosanne_!” ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2018, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/16 "2018-05-15T22:22:40Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Vote for Democrats in November. Trump is only getting away with these things because he has a Republican House and Senate covering for him. I’d take that bet. Even if the Dems get majorities I’ll wager no fewer than 68 quatloos the congress will redouble its efforts to do nothing about him. And I don’t even mean impeach, I mean legislate away a single executive order. Oh, there will be bluster and mud aplenty, but it will amount to a sitzkreig. Trump will get his 4 and no convictions. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/17 "2018-05-16T01:24:37Z")
I expect that the Chinese did the carrot and stick response. Sure, you can put ZTE out of business, and boeing will take at least a major body blow. How about them Trump voting farmers that are already between a rock and a hard place since they need to plant but not sure what is going to be a trade war casualty. Would Trump like a little cheese with his whine and a shout out to Australian and S Americans while we are at it. The Chinese government has been preparing for a trade war ever since they opened to the West. The US has been preparing for a trade war since Trump first tweeted about it. What is the phrase, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, don’t go off half cocked, be prepared, ad nauseum? Does nothing to help out Qualcomm and Google. If ZTE go down, the market share will be taken by another Chinese Android phone maker. Not only loans but the government can also offer China market access to a Trump brand or three. Maybe Xi Jinping wasn’t all that impressed at Mar a Logo when Trumpy fired off a few cruise missiles into Syria. Furthermore, I haven’t seen anything to show that Trump has done jack about the Chinese building islands and claiming the S China Sea as their backyard. I could keep going but one of the master(s) has jerked on the choke chain around Trumps neck. Forget Putin, it looks like Rocket Man knows this playbook too. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-china-and-zte-blatant-corruption/814203/18 "2018-05-16T02:15:09Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Trump will get his 4 and no convictions. That’s the bar Trump has to get over to be a success? He has to complete a term without going to prison? Yes, I agree, he’ll probably manage that.