America

China is wasting no time to project power in a world in which it believes Donald Trump's "America First" doctrine has created a "superpower vacuum."

One day after a senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday that Beijing is prepared to "assume a role of world leadership if others step back from that position" after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged in his first speech to put “America first”, Beijing has reportedly deployed an advanced Dongfeng-41 ICBM system in Heilongjiang Province, which borders with Russia.

Three days in and Trump has already kept one pledge

Paul Craig Roberts

On Trump’s third day Trump is one up on the Establishment. Can this last?

I am not a Trump booster. I am a scorekeeper.

On the third day of his presidency Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacificic Partnership (TPP). Based on this we must assume he will also deep-six the Trans-Atlantic Partnership.

Via The Daily Bell

 

• Dollar steadies after stumble, sterling rides out Brexit ruling (Reuters)
• After U.S. exit, Asian nations try to save TPP trade deal (Reuters)
• U.K. Court Rules Brexit Trigger Needs Parliamentary Vote (BBG)
• Brexit plans unlikely to be slowed by Article 50 defeat (Reuters)
• Health Secretary Nominee Proposed Bill Benefiting Puerto Rico Investments (WSJ)
• How Trump Would Rework Nafta—and What Mexico, Canada Want in Return  (BBG)
• Trump calls for more U.S. auto jobs, factories ahead of CEO meeting (Reuters)

US equity futures were flat, European stocks rose and Asia was mixed after the dollar posted a modest rebound overnight despite Mnuchin's "strong dollar" comments, while oil was flat and gold fell, as investors focused on President Donald Trump’s plans to boost growth. The pound fell after a U.K. court ruled that Parliament must vote on triggering Brexit.