Trump returns home from Asia with few clear wins

[DonViejo]

The president says he strengthened his friendships and pointed to billions in new deals – but he failed to extract major concessions from China and others abroad.

By ANDREW RESTUCCIA 11/14/2017 01:23 PM EST

MANILA, Philippines – In Trumpian terms, President Donald Trump’s Asia tour was a rousing success.

He was warmly welcomed by his closest friend in the region, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with a round of celebrity golf and he got to give a prime-time address to the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. He was welcomed to Beijing by Chinese President Xi Jinping with a “state visit plus" that featured an opera performance inside the Forbidden City followed by a lavish state dinner complete with a video featuring Trump's granddaughter singing in Mandarin. And to cap it off, Trump was serenaded by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

“It was a red carpet like nobody, probably has ever received,” Trump bragged in Manila. “And that really is a sign of respect, perhaps for me a little bit, but really for our country.” And yet, as he flies home to Washington, former diplomats and Asia experts were talking about how China came out ahead – and they noted he is returning to Washington largely empty-handed.

“The principal takeaway from Trump’s big Asia trip: virtually zero progress on any issue that matters to the Americans,” Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer wrote in a report. “Ultimately, that’s the biggest win for China.”

After a marathon series of bilateral meetings and photo-ops, the president failed to extract major new concessions from Asian leaders on his twin goals of arresting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and rebalancing America’s trade relationship with China and other nations in the region—and made next to no public reference to human rights, Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea or other touchy issues that have been raised in previous presidential visits.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/14/was-trump-asia-trip-a-success-244890

[C_U_L8R]

1. Empty handed.

Trump is such an empty suit. He accomplished nothing. He embarrasses us all.

[democratisphere]

2. "Mission Nothing Accomplished"

Same sh't, different day.

[Motley13]

3. Can't wait 'til he weighs in on the Roy Moore fiasco

probably be sth like this

"You groped 14 year old girls, I raped 13 year old girls, loser"

[underpants]

4. But he got some fancy shirts!

I mean, that's something

[spanone]

5. but it was a HUGE stroke to his ego....which is all this is really about

[pandr32]

6. He had a wonderful time and accomplished nothing

I don't think he has a clue what it was he was supposed to accomplish or how he should have used the opportunity of all the nice attention being lavished on him to start to work as the POTUS in Asia. We have a crisis abroad in North Korea and a trade agreement to make. He missed the boat.
He treated it as a big holiday and a time to assuage his ego that takes quite a bruising here at home. And then there was a face-to-face meeting with his lead advisor--Putin.
He proved to world leaders that all the cartoon depictions of him are true, that he is a stooge, and that the U.S. is no longer a country that can be depended on.

[BigmanPigman]

7. Chuck Schumer made a good speech

to the Senate covering these same points. I am glad he is doing his job and telling it like it is.

[Docreed2003]

8. It was a historic success...

“Because they fluffed me and stroked my ego!” Nothing of substance, just sound and fury....an empty, shallow little man who only cares about his fucking ego, meanwhile he’s too stupid to realize he’s being played on a world stage.

[Wounded Bear]

9. So now "few" includes zero?

Used to be "few" meant something different.

One=1
A couple=2 or 3
A few=3 to 5
Quite a few=4 to 8 or 10
Many= 6 or more

From a certified old fart. I even have a Medicare card now. I know this shit.

[DFW]

10. So what WERE the "wins?"

Birdies on the 3rd, 6th and 9th holes?