China

One year ago, when we first started discussing the Vancouver housing bubble, which as we first speculated - and was later confirmed - was the result of Chinese oligarch money-launderers parking "hot cash" in this offshore housing market (at least until a 15% property tax on foreign purchases made Seattle the new Vancouver), we said that Vancouver houses had become the de facto new Swiss bank account, and because of that the houses - once purchased - would remain a highly overprized, if vacant tribute to China's soaring capital outflows.

Trump met with Shinzo Abe friday, the famous inflationist Prime Minister of Japan.  The issue in question is if Trump will label Japan a 'currency manipulator' - whatever that means.  It seems to be the equivalent of 'Currency Headwinds' in publicly traded companies.  Because, every currency is manipulated!  The only currency in use today that's not manipulated, is Bitcoin and the Bitcoin alternatives (Author's note: Bitcoin is actually really useful, try it here).  From Bloomberg:

One of the most important points in the new "Trump System" of doing business, is that of the US Dollar, which currently is used by world's central banks as their reserve.  Also, it's used by peasants in many parts of the world including Russia - as an alternative to their domestic currency.  Practically, there isn't a clear alternative to the USD for the time being, with China's economy mostly built on ponzi frauds - but it should be noted by all that it is only a recent phenomenon that the USD is the world's reserve currency, and it can change with the blink of an eye.

Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,

Economic tensions are tipping over into military ones.

Warships have sailed, aircraft have had close encounters, and the rhetoric of Trump’s officials has shifted dramatically from the previous era.

After years of 'close encounters' of the Russian-kind, it appears the US military has found a new nation to fly close to.

Nine months after China demanded US "immediately cease" spying near its borders...