Mr. President, Use Your Financial Leverage on the CCP, Too

President Trump has set the stage for further, dramatic tariffs on a recalcitrant Chinese Communist Party, possibly exceeding 100% on its imports. He is catalyzing an economic disengagement from that mortal enemy that is long overdue.

As it happens, the President has another source of leverage in the form of an “America First Investment Policy” he unveiled on February 21st.

The essence of that policy is to reduce both dangerous “inbound” Chinese investments here and “outbound” U.S. investments that prop up the CCP, enable its military build-up and underwrite its totalitarian repression of the people of China.

Four Wall Street firms are intent, however, on maintaining their China First investment policy by raising over $7 billion for CATL, one of Beijing’s military and slave labor-exploiting companies. If you order them to stop, Mr. President, you will get Xi Jinping’s attention for sure.  

This is Frank Gaffney.