Meloni Back to China Begging for Chinese Investments (Part 2)!

All right, hello everybody and welcome to Geopolitical Trends, where truth matters. Excited to be with you on this July 29th, 2 more days for the month to be over. Where time goes. So anyway, very, very excited to be with you. Hope you had a relaxing weekend. Mine was good, even though I had to be on doing, uh, the live streams and also I had to do something yesterday with SL Canton. I think he's gonna release it on his channel. Uh, uh, he asked me if I can answer some geopolitical questions and all that stuff. So it was, it was, it was good. So that's what I end up doing yesterday, in addition to working on cutting the grass and dealing with the house stuff. So, but anyway, very excited to be with you as always. Got an interesting topic. As a matter of fact, I decided to do it as part 2. I did talk about this topic few months ago, so I am continuing the conversation on that. Even back then, I questioned the decision of Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, to head out to China, you know. And to me, it was like, okay, do we call this hypocrisy, double standard, whatever term you want to use, you know. And we will get into this, uh, uh, uh, debate or decision or analysis, whatever term you want to US. But first, let me say hi to the— to all of you here. That Brandy Hank, good to see you as always. Uh, okay, Fratelli, the, uh, I'm not gonna say that word there for the screen name, you know why. So, but good to see you. YM, good to see you. Colin Chia, good to see you. Patrick Lim, Seymour Fact, uh, Tina 1234, Uh, give her a meal and send her straight out of your country. Interesting. Hang NG, good to see you as always. By the way, Hang is, is an avid supporter, has been buying me tea every day, so I'm very, very grateful to you. Thank you so much. Francis Tango, good to see you as always. Francis, I need to talk to you offline. If there is any way I can communicate with you, please. Uh, uh, Theo, good to see you. Never too late to be sorry. That is true, you know, you, you kind of forgive, but, but there in diplomacy, in, uh, in geopolitics, I'm sorry, there are a lot of considerations, and I'm gonna get into the detail of all this. Eugene, uh, uh, good to see you. Andrea Inzaghi, you wrote, she is the most despicable liar in Italian history. Wow. Hamad City, good to see you also. Hamad, I would like to talk to you privately if it's possible. Willie Homan, good to see you. Bill Lee, uh, Rego First, Timeline Dunkley, Laval, good to see you. Abdul, good to see you as always. Army with Harmony, here you are. David King and Hairless Apes. Won KC, Truth Seeker, good to see you. Siphomy, good to see you. Alice Talokin, good to see you. And John Smith and New Zealand Smith, good to see you all. So All right guys, let's get into— because we got a lot to cover, and, uh, this one is very, very important to understand. And I'm going to approach it this time around from something might be new to you, but, but I'm sure I'll break it down and all that. I'm going to approach it from geoeconomics. Yes, there is a discipline called geoeconomics. So this is what I'm going to be approaching this, uh, because that's usually combined everything, but Before I'll do this, let me just share some housekeeping items here with you guys. I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Carl, uh, and Jerry. And by the way, uh, uh, thank you so much for alerting me that it was a bot, uh, during the conversation. I didn't see it because I focused on the conversation. And this is why I am gonna need your help, guys. I need someone, uh, either Francis Tango or Hamed Sidi, if you are willing to help me out with being a moderator on the channel during this conversation. I, I— there's only so much I can do on my own, and there is nothing wrong with asking for help. So I'm gonna need help with having one of you guys as a moderator if you're willing to do this and help me out with this. So, uh, all right, uh, now second thing I need to tell you: tomorrow I'm having a conversation with none other than— you guys, do you guys know who Dr. Digby James Ring is? So he will be here on the channel tomorrow at 1900 hours. So I look forward to that conversation, uh, with him. I'm also in the works regarding the schedule with having a guest from, uh, he was an analyst in the Pentagon. So, uh, I know of him and he knows about me and all that, but now I'm gonna bring him on the channel here to have really some insights and, and someone you want to hear what he has to say. You know, I trust the guy because I know of his record, uh, so, and this is why I decided to reach out, and he answered right away. So, and we're going to set up the date, and most likely will be for next week, the beginning of next week. Uh, third thing is be on, uh, be, be, uh, uh, ready for my panel discussion on August 3rd. That's going to be with Dr. Yang Liang and also with my dear friend Dr. Dashan Fang. So they're going to be here and we'll be talking about BRI. Big, big deal. And, and, and, and the last thing I'll share with you here is towards the end of the live stream, I want to give you an update about the Asia trip. So, all right, let's get into our conversation about today. Interesting topic here, especially regarding, uh, the Italian Prime Minister Uh, uh, Giorgia Meloni. So I, I put on the thumb— thumbnail, and, and, and please correct me if I'm wrong or suggest something else. I, I put, uh, President Xi looking at her and thinking, can we trust the fox? Yeah, it's not a laughing matter once you understand the ins and outs of these dynamics as to all of a sudden there is this shift. Well, we're gonna have to ask the key question, and here are the key questions here, guys. That I need you to consider as we move forward into this conversation here. So now the first question: why all of a sudden change of heart? And assuming it is sincere, this is where, uh, one of you who mentioned about, uh, uh, you know, second chance, forgiveness and all that— all that is good. Is the key— the key here is sincerity. You know, we all make mistakes. I'm not denying it. I'm one of those. I've been forgiven in my life. I made mistakes and I went and apologized and I meant it. And, and they said, you know what, water over the bridge, you're forgiven and it's all done. It's in the past. And of course you don't repeat the mistakes again. So sincerity is a key. So why the change of heart? Second question, is Meloni's trip to China a challenge to the US and the EU? Because you're gonna have to look at it from that aspect, because when you consider that it was the US that pressured Meloni to withdraw from the BRI, and she did. So third question is, will China invest in Italy given the EU stance regarding China? Because remember, to China it's a strategic move. You can react emotionally 'Oh, we are mad at you because you pulled out of BRI.' It doesn't work that way. You have to put emotions. And if you look at the history of China, they never reacted emotionally. Look, just even what Japan did to Chinese during their atrocities, and yet the Chinese are okay. Of course they're not gonna forget. You know, my point is you don't react emotionally to— and this is exactly where I see the strategy of China, and it's gonna pay off. For China far more than it will be for the EU. And the last question is, uh, did Italy regret pulling out of BRICS or from BRICS? It's a— it's, it's— I have to have— I have to ask the question. I can't assume that is going to be so. All right, let's get into this. Before I delve deeper, I came across something. I'm gonna share the screen with you. Because you need to see with your own eyes. First of all, I'm gonna, uh, I don't know if I have the picture, then I'm gonna make a comment on it because it was disturbing. But again, could it be by mistake? Could it be— I don't know. And I'm yet to reach out to this entity and ask them to correct the record. So here is what I'm talking about, and I'm gonna share it with you here. On the screen. Share screen. Now, this is an article, okay? I just want you to see what it says right there. What does it say? It says Italy and China forge new path of cooperation with 3-year action plan, which is true. Here is with my— where my issue is. Look at this picture. Look what they put. Now I am asking, was it a mistake or was it a, a manipulation? So you have a title here that it says you have a story, the article about Italy and China. Not Italy and India. And this is what to me was disturbing. So, so what I end up doing, guys, is I tracked, uh, this particular entity and I pinpoint exactly where their location is. I'm going to share it with you right here. And if you look at the, the address is the Haryana region in India. So once again, I'm not jumping the guns here. All I'm saying is Was it an honest mistake or was it manipulation? So I intend, after I'm done with the live stream here, I'm going to shoot them an email and ask them to fix that picture because it's not right. So, all right, let's get into our talks here. So now, the Italian Prime Minister, as you know, she is in, in China right now. And to my knowledge, uh, from one of my contacts on LinkedIn, uh, uh, that to confirm That is, she's between Beijing and Shanghai. Uh, she's been there for 3 days and her trip will end on the 31st, so she got 2 more days, you know. However, all this is nice and all that, yet what's at the heart of it is that Meloni, Prime Minister, finds itself in a precarious position here because you are traveling— you, Meloni in this case— traveling back, begging for now Chinese investments. Okay, if you are to do this What made you think all of a sudden you succumbed to the pressure from the United States by pulling out of BRI, knowing, knowing that your country is going to benefit from that? And if you were able to succumb to this pressure from the US, what can you do next? And now she has to go back. It's almost begging, because there is no other way of saying it. And shame on her. I'll say it, I don't shy away. Shame on Western leaders that— because to me, this, you know what this is, guys? This is like the height of hypocrisy. You know, why didn't she admit it openly and publicly? You know what, I was pressured by the US, I made a mistake. Make it an official statement. I understand in diplomacy how things have to be measured and so forth, but this is different. All of a sudden you are now going back to China asking for economic assistance after you withdrew from the BRICS only 10 months ago, not just a year ago, whatever that was. So, so, and this is where for me it raised eyebrows. It just didn't make sense. On the other hand, that's why I asked the question: is Meloni's trip to China a challenge to the EU? In other words, are they pivoting away from the position the EU is taking on China regarding the tariff on EVs and so forth? Because that's, to me, I look at it like a bold move. Sometimes when you have to do what you have to do, you know, it's where the issue with European leaders is lack of humility. That is where the issue we have. We, some of us in the West collective, we have this sense of arrogance sense of superiority, which doesn't bode well given now the global state, the global order is shifting. Cooperation will do you far more than this, this grandstanding. It won't work. And this is why I looked at her decision. It's a bold move. I'm not denying it. You know, you give credit where credit is due. But at the same time, If there is a bold move, you know, does he have some substance to it? Does he carry substance of it, in it? All of a sudden you're seeking support from China when you are part of the EU pushing for the— why didn't Italy push back against the EU decision like Orbán did? See, that's to me where— here is the thing, guys, leadership doesn't matter, president, prime minister, uh, professor, uh, manager, whatever. Leadership is tested when it matters, because in this case it matters. So we shall see. So, and this is why this 5-day trip to China is going to now put things in perspective. Well, of course, uh, the one of the main events that took place just yesterday is the signing of a 3-year, 3-year agreement That's between Italy and China. And I'm going to share a screen with you about, uh, about this particular— I want you to take a listen here, please. And they do have the translation of it, so you can see, uh, uh, it just is very, very important, uh, for you to see. And I have another one for the, uh, the, the, the, you know, a few seconds of President Xi statements. So here we go, take a listen, guys. China and Italy have signed a 3-year plan aiming to bolster industrial collaboration while repairing strained relations. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's official Beijing visit comes a year after Italy dropped out of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. Caratterizzati da una cooperazione economica e commerciale molto significativa, una dimensione strategica che dobbiamo continuare a coltivare anche e soprattutto di fronte alla complessa situazione internazionale nella quale ci troviamo. As part of the plan, the two countries will participate in supercharged trade spanning electric— Okay, I'm gonna stop it there. All right, I just want you— here's the second one. Let me get the second one, guys, because I need you to, uh, uh, listen to President Xi's keyword statements. Uh, what's important about this, guys, and I did, uh, find a picture, by the way. I'm going to share it with you right here. Uh, this is the meeting that took place, in the state, uh, office or, or palace, whatever term you want to use for that, with President Xi and the Prime Minister, uh, uh, Giorgia Meloni. And we give credit to Getty Images. These are their images there. So that's what I wanted to— so take a listen at this particular, uh, uh, it's very, very, very, very short, uh, for President Xi because it's very important for you to hear it Then I'm going to elaborate on that within my own analysis, and that is the reason why I wanted to do it this way. Okay, so that is very, very important for you guys too. I want you to hear this because I'm going to get into the detail of of these specific measured words by President Xi, which is an indication already that it's almost the message that President Xi was sending to her. And I am sure she was staring and listening, but also thinking at the same time, which direction do I go now? Because if it's coming from President Xi— when I say President Xi, I'm referring to China— that is gonna— that is playing a major role on the global stage, I'm gonna have to think about where should I take my country, which direction. And that is the reason why I wanted you to listen to this one, to understand. And like I argued this before, this new multipolar will require cooperation. It becomes now which country is gonna want to cooperate and move forward for the sake of their people, and which one we— they want to resist it, like my country, which most likely will do, because there is an entity behind the scenes that controls the management of the US government. So either we're going to resist it or we're going to cooperate, at least for us. Now Italy is in that spot now, thinking about, well, we already made the big mistake by pulling out of the BRI. Now I don't know what the detail, how it works, if they want to go back to the BRI. Uh, personally, I will be questioning their, their, uh, sincerity. Uh, they have to have some clause into this that kind of because you can't be, you can't have it both ways. You know, Italy or Europe for that matter wants to have it both ways. Doesn't work that way. So, so, and this is where I believe that Italian Prime Minister wanted to have the reset basically with, with, with China because she knows that the EU is going to be pushing more for trade war. This one also has to do with another dimension that has to do with the United States. And this has to do with President Trump's announcement on two fronts, one on China and one on Europe. On China, President, uh, uh, uh, candidate Trump— he's not a president— candidate Trump already said that, well, we're gonna put 60% on tariffs on China, and by the way, we are gonna be putting tariffs on the European, uh, merchandise also. So Meloni is thinking about, I can't take chance with this, so which is the easier one to take? Maybe the Chinese. If she thinks that way, China on the other hand will have to be strategically shrewd about the movement moving forward with the assumption that China decide to invest in Italy. And the way you know for why Meloni is— went to China to attract Chinese investments. Those will be particular in one particular industry, has to do with the auto manufacturing. Other sectors will be part of it. But here is the thing, when you consider what was involved in the delegation that went over to China, when you look at, uh, I don't know, I thought I had the picture of it, uh, no, I don't. Uh, that picture I showed you when President Xi was talking, that was a delegation on both parts, the Chinese and the Italian. Well, uh, Giorgia Meloni, who went with her, it was the CEOs of Italian companies like tire maker Pirelli, that's one, energy conglomerate ENI, luxury fashion Dolce Gabbana, which you all know. You know, those are some examples of who accompanied Giorgia Meloni to China to highlight to you the need and desperation— I'll use the term carefully— desperation for Chinese investments. That is what's at the heart of it. So, so now before I'll do this, I'm gonna do a brief geography because you need to know this to put the person— to put the BRI in perspective and through for you to understand why Meloni has realized that it made a mistake by succumbing to US pressure. Without geography and of course a little bit of history, things would not make sense to you. So, so here's, uh, let me share the map with you because it's very important to see the location. So, excuse me, it's all about the location, especially when it comes down to the Mediterranean Sea. Uh, and we give credit to— or I give credit to, uh, uh, World Atlas. That's their map right there. So Italy, when you look at it, its location, you know, it's in South Central Europe on the Apennine Peninsula. It is sort of, uh, uh, it shares its borders with Switzerland and Austria to the north, with Slovenia into the northeast, with France in the northwest. And I'm not gonna talk much about the Vatican and the San Marino. Those are two enclaves anyway. My point in all this, you're gonna have to think about the southern part of Italy. Now, southern boundaries extending into the Mediterranean Sea. The boot-shaped Italian peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea in the east and the Sea of Sicily in the south. The, uh, the Ionian Sea in the southeast, the Ligurian Sea, and the Tyrrhenian Sea in the southwest. The two largest Mediterranean islands, Sardinia is located in the west and Sicily is to the south of Italy. Now you may think, okay, what is important about this, Dr. O? It's the maritime route. That is what's important about it. And I'll talk more about this. Let me, let me share briefly with you the history of Italy. Of course, we can't go through so much. Suffice it to say that the history of Italy basically is the history of the modern world. We all know, you know, if you look at, for example, the documentary about the Medicis in Florence and how things have evolved. The Roman Empire, the Colosseum, and so forth. So because there are so many pivotal moments literally in our history has taken place in Italy, you know, you gotta give credit where credit is due. And this is why Italy is considered Europe's cornerstone when it comes down to history. And I agree with this one here. So you think about it, uh, from the grandeur of Rome, how Rome used to be to the Renaissance, uh, to the— all the way to the battlefield of World War II. So now if you think about the history of Italy, and I'm gonna keep this very brief, guys, you have to go back to about 500 BC. This is where the number of people of different ethnicities and origin shared Italy. That's why Italy was like a mix of— of course you got the small Greek colonies, this in south— in the southeastern, southern coast rather, and the island of Sicily. Then you got the Gauls, which is ancestor of today modern French. This is where the name of Charles de Gaulle, the former general and president of France, came in because he was, he was from the Gauls. Modern France roamed in the mountainous north. Then you have the Etruscan, which is this one, is group originally hailing from somewhere in western Turkey. Those are settled in central Italy. And this is why it's very important, at least to understand this part of itself. So when you go back to the establishment of Rome, which was established in 753 BC by none other than Romulus and Remus, two twin brothers who claimed to be sons of war god Mars and to have been raised as infant, uh, at the time by, uh, sort of the she-wolf. So fast forward to 509 BC when the last king was overthrown and the Roman Republic was formed. This is where Rome then came to be ruled by the two elected officials known as the consuls, a Senate made up of wealthy aristocrats. Now and again, here is the importance of history. Even back then, what was the Senate made of? Wealthy aristocrats who can control the policy. The same thing apply in my country. I can't speak for England because I know their system, because we following almost similar, because they have the House of Lords and House of Commons. Same for us, the Senate and House of Representatives. But when you look at who's in the Senate, the wealthy individual because they're controlling the process. As a matter of fact, the establishment of the United States was based on that. They were the wealthy who established the system the way we have it today. You know, America today is no different than what it was back then at its beginning. Forget about this democracy and this nonsense. It was about ensuring the wealth and the interest of the well-to-do. Are preserved. When you look at back then, at the beginning of America, the Senate was deciding who to nominate for president. It's the same thing we have in today. You got the Electoral College deciding for the president of the United States. Back in Roman time, it was the Senate that was dictating the policies. And this format of government worked well at first for them, but as Rome expanded beyond the mere city state to take over territories, not just in Italy, as you all know, but overseas as well. The system of government came under severe strain. Same what happened to France, same what happened to Spain, Portugal, the Dutch, and now the United States, because also corruption gets in deep into the system. So, uh, And this is where the 1st century BC, when Rome fall into the crisis, it was a major one. And you all remember Spartacus, right? The slave, he led the common people revolt. Once again, I'm sharing history with you to draw lessons from it. If only people understand the power they have. But you got sheeps out there, they can't understand. And they just buy in the argument, whatever that argument is. And this is why, to tie it to our conversation, for Meloni to be going to China, you know, what, what does she think, the Chinese are stupid? They can't read between the lines? They can't see hypocrisy? They can't understand the double standard? But again, this is where the importance of history, guys. I can't stress this enough. And we happen to be poor readers of history. We don't learn from it much. So, and this is where once the rebellion revolt against the rule of the aristocratic politicians, Rome was able to put down the rebellion, but at a great cost. And that cost was the Republic was dissolved in a series of military dictatorships that ended with the assassination of— do you guys know who was assassinated? So famous. Uh, uh, let me just— I want to know your, your input. In world history, you know, who was assassinated once the Republic was dissolved? It's when now? And I'm sure you do. Let me, let me just check. I am sure you do, guys. Let me see here. And like I always say, I like to have your input into the conversation here because that, that's what we do. We, we are conversing here. Yeah, a big figure, big figure in history. Uh, let me see, I'm scrolling down, guys. Here, please keep an eye, by the way, keep an eye for, uh any, any bot here, so I'll, I'll, I'll kick him out. Uh, okay, I don't see it here, guys. I need to move on with this one. Oh, oh, oh, Cosmo! Uh, I'm— are you joking or what? Yes, Julius Caesar, that's what it was. So this was the assassination of Julius Caesar. So in 29 BC This is, uh, after a long, long struggle internally. And this is when an empire collapses, it's the end. This is one thing I am concerned about my own country. We are going into that direction. So what happened? Julius Caesar's nephew Octavius seized power and declared himself emperor, uh, Emperor Augustus. And this is where the Roman Empire was born. So for the next 200 years, Rome thrived, and you all know the rest. And I'm gonna stop right here, guys, because it's so long. Uh, suffice it to say, the collapse of Roman Empire was from within, not because of a foreign invasion, not because of a foreign war. It was because of the breakdown in social structure and corruption. The same scenario I am witnessing right now in my country here and also throughout the West. You also saw the opening ceremony of the Olympics in France. What a shame, what a shame. You know, this has nothing to do with religion. I am not a religious guy, you know, I don't do that kind of stuff, but I show respect. You show them respect, you know. And but also this is a sign, guys, for the decline. France is done for, you know, the whole West morals are, are done for. And this is exactly my point. This is why history is very, very important. So, all right, let's get into our, our own analysis here. So we all know that Italy, the only G7 member who have joined BRI So it was like the odd, but at the same time it wasn't the odd, it was a smart move that they couldn't withstand the pressure from the United States and end up pulling out because Italy didn't realize the importance of why BRI is going to make sense. This is why you're seeing— and the reason why I wanted to show you the map is to highlight to you the maritime. You got now, you got, for example, Egypt Tunisia, uh, Algeria, and Morocco. But by the way, Morocco just had some, uh, deal with China regarding the exchange of cultural stuff and, and some stuff like that. That's usually paving the way for more because Morocco turned down China when China offered to rebuild the city of Tangier up north. So the king said no because China said You know, we can't— we're not doing it for free, of course. It's a business transaction. So the Chinese wanted to have a percentage into that. Morocco said no. China said thank you very much, shake hand and, and see you. Now Morocco is realizing also, because Algeria jumped on the bandwagon with the Chinese and the Russians, so Italy now is recalculating, seeing what's taking place in Europe. And especially with two main events. One of them is the trip of the last trip of President Xi to Hungary and Serbia. And we all know the deals, the investments that they do. And second thing is the access of the Chinese EV in Europe. So Italy, you all know Lamborghini and all that stuff, right? Well, here is the thing. I'm going to share it with you right now. I'm not going to wait till later because that's— we just have a free conversation here, guys. I'm going to share a picture with you. This is the U9, the new luxury Chinese EV, uh, electronic— yeah, EV car. I took a look at the specs. I don't need a car and I don't have that kind of money to spend on this, but if I did, for example, I will purchase it. You know why? This vehicle, the upper hand of the upper level with all the whistle, the all of whatever you can think about technology, it's in this car. The, the, uh, the price is about $124,000. Now if you go to the next level, is about $340,000. I looked them up. However, when you compare this car to the new version of Lamborghini, which I looked at yesterday, you know how much it cost? $2 million. It's nothing different, it's just the name. So the Chinese are able to build brand new comp— you know, those are luxury cars. You know, it's kind of— this is why I post this for you in the, uh, community about why all of a sudden Qatar opened up its market to the Chinese SUV. This is U8, you know, the equivalency of, uh, uh, Range Rover., in Britain, you know, and the models, they are those who's going to be saying, what, the Chinese are stealing technology? That's nonsense. Most cars, most automobile industry takes the older model and improve on it, you know. Go back to the early '90s when, when Ford start developing, developing cars, you know. That's nonsense what they're saying. Look at the interior of this. This is the SUV interior, a luxury and comfort and the good price for it. So for me personally, hypothetically, if I were to buy it, you know, for $124,000 you get this luxury car that is like the equivalency of, uh, Lamborghini, except Lamborghini will cost $2 million. This one, $124,000, the lower end, but the, the upper end is about $340,000. Based on the record that I looked at recently. So, so very, very interesting to understand this. And again, this falls within the conversation that we are talking about, uh, the delegation that went with Italy— with the, the prime minister to China, because they are begging. That's a sad— that's a subtle way of asking Chinese, please, please put in some investments in our country because we screw up, we follow the US We follow the EU, and the EU, you know, is crumbling economically. Look no further than what's going on in, in, in UK. I know UK is not part of the EU, but it won't matter. And as a matter of fact, uh, I just saw a, a, a comment from one of the viewers who put this, uh, today, and thank you for sharing this. His name is H3291. Thank you for sharing this, and I'm gonna quote it for you. Dr. O, the new finance minister has just discovered that the Sunak government spent £28 billion more than they had available. End of quote. That tells you a story right there. Europe is collapsing economically. Germany is done for, for some industries. France, Italy, uh, you look at Sweden, Finland, no exception, no exception. And this is where you see Italy embarking on this, because they are looking at the trend where it's headed. East— Eastern Europe countries, the likes of Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, are already, uh, uh, embarked on that train. And this is why Meloni wanted to. But Meloni is not trusted in her country either. I had a, a communication with someone through LinkedIn. He and I, we communicate— Pietro. I'll disclose the name, you know. And, and he mentioned to me about the high unemployment that exists, and he's in Italy, so you kind of trust people on the ground. They ain't gonna just making things up, you know. And I do fact-check certain things before I share them with you. You got a high unemployment, you got an aging population, you got a serious level, serious level of corruption that exists, and of course criminality, let alone the massive immigration they're dealing with. Nothing against immigrants, but you got to know who's coming to your country. So, and this highlights to you the idea of why the Italian Prime Minister decided to, despite whatever, I don't care what the Europeans are thinking, I don't care what Washington is thinking, and going to China. The key question we ought to ask is sincerity. Is she sincere in what she's asking for and whether it's going to hold her end of the bargain. Now, there is one other aspect that I need you to, uh, uh, understand, and this one has to do with, uh, I think I, I put it down for, uh, explaining to you the idea of what this is, uh, the, the geoeconomics. You know, geoeconomics. What is geoeconomics? That's usually when you consider geopolitics and economics, of course, self-explanatory. So it's like the study of the spatial, temporal, and political aspects. You get two elements working together, economics and resources combined with geopolitics. So, and by the way, this term geoeconomics, uh, there is no widely sort of accepted singular definition geoeconomics is this, that's it. No, no, the distinction of geoeconomics separately from geopolitics is often, uh, sort of— you can tell if you are talking about strictly geopolitical aspects of it, you're talking about the political decisions, the strategic decisions governments embark on. When you think about the economics separately, you're thinking about the decisions from an economic perspective, and you combine the two as to how much economic will impact geopolitics and vice versa. This is why I always say, when you think of geopolitics, you think of finance. Yeah, because they are intertwined. When you think geopolitics and think energy, yeah, because they are intertwined. Anytime, uh, oil prices goes up, geopolitical decisions end up being the one that is influencing that direction, whatever that might be. So, so to the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni is considering the Chinese investments so crucial— this is the key word, guys— so important, so vital to sort of— what's the word I'm looking for— to revolutionize, to, to sort of— you're gonna have to give life to the Italian economy because Italian economy is sluggish as we speak. And it's not Italy, it's not just Italy, the whole Europe. Why? Because they embarked on failed policies directed by the United States. And all it was because we want to have our companies control the markets in Europe. This is why Italy now is looking at, you know, because the common question, which I am sure you guys are asking yourself, that Why she didn't come to the US asking for help? Why she didn't go to Brussels and ask the Parliament for, hey, we need assistance here? Instead, he's going to China. But also, that can give you an idea about, which is a possibility, and it's just me thinking outside the box, that, uh, uh, the Prime Minister is thinking about China's role on the global stage. One that can't be minimized no matter how you look at it. The sheer size of the Chinese economy, you can't, you can't ignore that. To those who say here in, in my country saying, well, we're gonna have to sanction Chinese, do you have any idea if the Chinese sanction us back? We'll have riots in the streets because nobody can afford anything. As a matter of fact, poverty is already going up right here. Same thing in Italy and across Europe. So, and this is where the reality of where this is all about. That's why those companies had to go with her, because they are seeking, uh, some sort of help, financial help, that is. So, well, of course, we can't forget what took place when Italy decided to withdraw from the BRI under pressure from the United States. Yeah, and I have a picture for you that, that says it all right here, guys. Take a look. Hey, I want you to pull out of the PRI, okay? That's to me what it says. It's straightforward. It's because she was— you all remember when she came to power, she was against— when she was— I'm sorry, not when she came to power, when she was, uh, uh, campaigning She was against the sanctions against the Russians. The moment she got into power, what happened? So that just tells you right there. Oh, Hairy Local, thank you so much for your super sticker. Berlusconi is turning out in his grave. I agree, I agree. Despite how you look at the late Berlusconi, Yeah, he was whatever, but still he pushed for the economy of the Italians, you know. Yes, he was European also and all that stuff, but no, no, he looked at the— because ANI, and I have a knowledge of this because I once did some consulting, uh, uh, and I have some contacts with Gazprom in, in Russia, major investments. As a matter of fact, I argued in one of the consultation with someone who has connection with the head of the ANI by saying, if Italy can get in on a project by building pipelines coming through, uh, Mediterranean, they'll got it made. And that argument I made it back in 2015 or '16. So, uh, Rafael, good to see you, man. Why are Putin and Xi so naive? I don't get it. Well, Rafael, they are not naive. They are playing a smart move, smart calculations. And the way I see it, I, I mean, I understand your point, and thank you very much for your Super Sticker, by the way. I understand your point, except that they are playing— they, the Russian president and the Chinese president, are playing the long term. The long term. Because here is the thing, you do not— you as a leader in this case, if you are playing a role on the global stage, you do not want to create any setting where confrontation will ensue. Why? It's because it's gonna turn things upside down in a bad way. This is why, to those who argue, uh, that, oh, China is going to invade Taiwan, it's nonsense. It's nonsense because we cannot afford a war with China, and that war will not be just us and China, it will be global. So the Chinese leaders are thinking long term, the Russian leaders are thinking long term. For us is we have to think about the next 3 years, our cycle, election stuff. But all this has nothing to do with One key aspect, and that key aspect is the transition from a unipolar to a multipolar, which is already underway anyway. It is already— it already happened. I mean, the West is still hold on to that notion of, oh no, no, no, no, no, no, there are no problems in the world. There are no— no, it's too late for that. And I'm here to tell you guys, and that is why, just to answer your, or your statement, or to comment on it. The Russian and the Chinese are thinking strategically long term for a reason, for a reason. So when you think about, uh, uh, uh, uh, when Meloni, uh, there, there is another aspect that I found very— I won't use the term disturbing, but the ability of Meloni to think of herself that she can, for example, uh, uh, uh, take the lead within the Western collective West leadership? No. First of all, she's not qualified for that. There is one. Second, she doesn't have the necessary experience or the depth of understanding international relations or geopolitical matters for that, for, you know, when we talk about this one here. So when, when Meloni, Prime Minister, try to see herself as the top diplomat who is able to speak to leaders across sort of the ideological spectrums. No, no, she's no equivalent to, for example, uh, uh, the Prime Minister of Hungary, Orbán. You know, it's because the leadership was tested and she failed. She failed when the US just pressured her to pull out of BRI. And the reason also, because we have our military presence in Aviano inside Italy big time. So, and this is why— or you think about the likes of Orbán, the likes of Olaf Scholz, you know, those are— you can compare. I don't know why she's trying to compare herself to Olaf Scholz. Come on, it's laughable. I laugh at this because the incompetency that exists within those Western leaders cross the board. So, and this is why her ambitions, thinking in terms— I am sure, I am sure, and, and I could be wrong, but I, my instincts is telling me otherwise— the way she's looking at it, she's looking at it that if I go to China, have one-on-one with President Xi, which by the way he granted her an audience for strategic reason, she didn't do it because he cares to meet with her. No, no, no, no, no, no. It's a strategic move because Xi, President Xi, will be able to position China and, and, and separate the wedge or create a wedge between Europe and the US. Not in a malicious way. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This one has to do with the reality of economics, you know. By China creating that wedge, it's for Europe to see with its own eyes Here is Europe, here is the US economically speaking. Look where they are. And here is Italy that decide to, you know what, I'm gonna embark on economic ventures with China. Hell with both of you. That's the way I look at it. So for Meloni to be thinking in terms that, well, I am gonna be speaking to President Xi, is because she also realizes the whole new global order, this multipolar, you cannot ignore China no matter how you look at it. I don't care what others say, there is no other way, you know. And even if Meloni is thinking in terms, well, I'm gonna go despite what the EU is saying, because you remember what the EU wanted to— the European Union wanted— did to Hungary, strip them out of their presidency, which is not right. You know, Italy— I mean, Meloni now, uh, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is going there to think in terms of, I don't care what the European Union— the question is the sincerity. Can she? Can she? Can she? Can she? Now, is she gonna be talking about convincing President Xi to talk to the Russian president about Ukraine. Yeah, she can talk about that, but President Xi is going to say, ain't my problem, that's the Russians. Especially because now it became evident that Ukraine is done for. And what, what my— what is mind-boggling is that the Western world, including my country, still wanted to send billions of dollars to a corrupted regime. It's not laughable. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's not laughable. It's my tax dollar. I'd rather send them to someone in need. I have no problem doing that, and I'll be happy to do it. You give to those in need. You don't send it to the corrupted people. And by the way, some of the money I already followed through— certain, not all, of course. And I follow through certain aspects. I have my ways of finding that kind of stuff. There are some bank accounts in southern France, some in Switzerland, and some in Grand Cayman where the money has been transferred. So tax dollars, a little long, where they— where the whole country, at least my country, with the poverty level going up and all that stuff. So, and this is where that difference is. So the Italian pres— the Italian prime minister's visit to China, uh, it just, uh, to me it's a reflection really of reflection of her inadequacy that she realized how full I was by following orders from Washington. Now how China's going to respond to all this, will China You know, of course they signed this 3-year agreement, uh, but to me that's nothing. It's nothing. It's nothing. China has to also demonstrate its good faith, because when you have something like this, you're gonna have to do it. But, but for the Prime Minister, you know, if she's thinking about, uh, resetting, you know, once you break that trust, once you break that commitment Because what makes now— what makes her think that the Chinese is gonna just say, sure, come on back, get back on BRI and all that stuff? No, the, the, the, uh, the Chinese are, are savvy. They're gonna be thinking about— and she knows it, she knows it, she knows that it was very embarrassing because it's on the world stage. Who did you go to? You didn't go to Washington. You didn't go to Brussels, you didn't go to London, you didn't go to Berlin, you didn't go to Paris, you went to Beijing. And that's, to me, like I always say, guys, optics matters. It's all it was. So, and this is where that difference is. And the idea that when you think about, uh, this is, by the way, this image here This is when she gave the speech, the, the day she withdrew from the BRI. That was the, the day when I tracked the record and I got this picture, uh, from that one. That's when she, uh, announced, uh, the exit of, uh, uh, Italy from the BRI. So, and of course, right after this one here. And then, and then to me, that's just the idea, because this kind of, uh, this kind of dynamics is very, very important for you to understand all the intricacies that are informed, informing that kind of picture to make sense to you. If you don't understand those, you will be left with— it's like a puzzle. You are putting the pieces, but you have one piece that is missing. What is that? So however, if you do have an understanding of all the facets pertaining to something, of course you can cover everything. The same arguments, and, and I'm going to be talking this with Dr. Digby, uh, James, when he comes in here tomorrow, about the idea of Vietnam and Cambodia, two main countries. I am watching, I am watching their strategic moves right now. That tells me a lot about where they wanted to position themselves given the shifting sands of the geopolitical landscape. I mean, a whole ASEAN for that matter, but I am thinking about those two countries specifically, you know. Yeah, of course we can talk about Thailand or we can talk about Philippines, even Philippines taking, uh, about-face regarding diplomacy with China. You can trust Marcos. You know he's doing it because he feels the pinch— the pinch, I mean the anger of the Filipino people. So, or even Malaysia for that matter. Did you see, guys, the meeting yesterday between Sergey Lavrov and Ibrahim Anwar, the Prime Minister of Malaysia? And by the way, Malaysia most likely might end up in BRICS. It's the dynamics. And this is what I'm trying to sort of provide you, this kind of insight. That's to me what this, uh, analysis is all about. It's just to put the big picture for you with all the pieces needed, uh, for you to form your own conclusion. Not mine, your own. Never let it be said, well, Dr. O said this. Yes, I can say thanks, whatever I can share with you, but that's my own opinion. You have to reach your own. So, uh, oh, I have something I want to share quickly while I have it here. Uh, one comment from Oman 401. This is pertaining to EVs, just within the context. And we talked about when I posted that, uh, picture for you as far as Qatar opening now to the Chinese vehicles. Oh, and his argument, because I asked the question and he answered, and it says, and I quote, value for money. The company offers an extended warranty, meaning BYD. Post-pandemic chip crisis compromised conventional car companies' manufacturing and supply to the market, so they had to buy available cars— Chinese in this case— to meet demands. This exposed the value for money and reliability myth to the consumers. Most of all, Chinese cars come with superior design concepts and features, which, which is convenient. Aesthetic desire community will be attracted at some point. End of quote. Spot on, spot on. If I am to guess, the old man, I think he's into auto industry, and it's well put. Well put, and thank you for sharing that. So, so, and this is where I see, guys, the idea of, uh, uh, uh, uh, why, why Italy— Italy is realizing, you know, this thing's going down south. You know, I do have family in Italy, but I don't talk to them much. But, but I can read, you know, I can read and all this. Usually, usually when I with my family, I can reach out and, you know, they ain't gonna tell me what I want to hear. They're going to tell me how it is. So, uh, but the idea of, uh, of how things are moving forward— no, no, Italy is realizing they are in a bad economic position, you know. That's themselves. We're not talking even the whole EU, you know. This is why in a matter of time, the EU and the G20 and all that ain't gonna be nothing in comparison to ASEAN and BRICS. And maybe RCEP. RCEP and SCO still have to work on— they still have a long time. And I intend to address this with Dr. Digby when he gets here tomorrow. So, all right guys, that's all I have to share with you. Oh, by the way, I have to, uh, because we community here, uh, transparency is very, very crucial to me. And I respect people's opinions, I respect the Uh, it was someone without naming names argued about the last video that I did for the dedicated, dedicated video, uh, that the company reached out and I kind of flashed out and I don't hold back. And all I said was, you know, criticism is so easy, put your money where your mouth is. So if you are to criticize me that way, if you are a man, put a $5,000 or $10,000 on the table and and say to me, Dr. O, this is to support your channel, instead of just easily just talking nonsense. However, I do respect the opinions. You express yourself, whatever. So, and this personal arguments was, well, I can understand 1 or 2 minutes, uh, uh, uh, commercial. Why you didn't understand that I did disclose this is a dedicated video? Yes, do I agree that it was a little bit long? Because it was 20 minutes, I agree to that, and I'm gonna make sure moving forward that it will not be more than 15 minutes. However, when a company is paying for it, you know, that's just common sense. So, but I do welcome the comments. I have no hard feeling about it. I just need you guys to know where things are because to me it's all about transparency. I don't, uh, uh, it's just the way I operate. You know, if somebody doesn't like how straightforward I am, well, that's too bad. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Simple as that. Simple as that. So, uh, for the Asia trip, I want to give you an update. Uh, I got a third donor. When I say donor, someone who contributed serious amount of money, see, about $500. So I got now 3 donors. So except that they are asking me, all of them asking me not to disclose a name, and I am going to honor that. So, so, so far things are moving forward. So I am in the preparation plan, and I will share with you where things are as far as the, uh, where we are regarding, uh where the funds are, because you need to know where do we stand into all this. My back. All right, let me share the screen with you, and I thank all those who've been supporting, uh, both the channel and this Asia trip. So, so here is where we are as of today. However, That's not the exact number. You need to add $1,500 to that, and the $1,500 is from those private donors. That's so, so it amounts to 1.5, so you're talking about $6,200. That's where we are at. So, so we almost, we crossed halfway. I got, I got another $4,000 to go. Uh, I still have enough time. It's because here's the thing, uh, by, uh By the end of August, I need to make sure I reach this, this, uh, this, uh, the amount, $10,000. So, but, but I want to thank everybody who's been donating to the Asia trip, everybody who's been supporting the channel. I am very grateful. I want you to know that I don't take it for granted, and I will pay it forward. I will pay it forward one way or another, because in life is not about just taking, it is also about giving. And, and I don't like to talk much about what I do, but you do, you do have to, uh, uh, give. You give because you don't just take, you give also. Uh, now I take this opportunity, beside thanking those on, on, on Buy Me a Coffee and the Asia trip, I also would like to say thank you to the members of the channel on YouTube channel, uh, RC for example, who just became a member just yesterday, uh, Ronald Cho, Richard Siro, uh, I, I got a lot of people here. I'm just gonna quickly— Lion King fan, uh, Jeremiah Morrison, Louis Guster, Mangy Sane, Leonard McIntyre, thank you very much, Dallin Kinton, Antokin Sipili, Emerson Bangura, Van Scow, Sam, uh, Sivaravang, and the strong organization Thomas Edison, Ray Camo. Ray Camo has been, has been an avid supporter. Uh, Tony Bardawi, uh, Boone as always, uh, Ron and Julie, those are from, uh, Down Under, uh, from New Zealand, I believe. So, uh, Bernard Ulu, Bob Tan, Donald Jung, uh, Sunak. I can't pronounce this one because he's in Chinese character. So I'm very grateful. Uh, Wulam Abbas, thank you very much. And, and Benny Soon, Janice Ro, many, many others. So I just want to, you know, you give a shout out because that's the right thing to do. I know a lot of people don't like to hear whatever, but hey, it is what it is. All right, let me answer some questions here, guys. I'll start with the Truth Seeker. Uh, question: do you know what is happening in Argentina now after Milei visited China? No, I don't, uh, because I think Argentina is also realizing what a fool it was of itself. But are you going to trust Milei? It will be, it will be a mistake. Milei was placed there by the United States. It's because the US got concerned about China's BRI in Latin America which is the back— it's sort of right here, as we call it, the back door. It's not a back door of America, it's Latin America. They are sovereign states. I don't know why in Washington they still using the term the back door of America. No, it's not, it's not. So, so, but that's what the— but for Argentina, no, no. And maybe it was good that, uh, BRICS didn't rush into this. That's like I always say, guys, BRICS cannot rush into just bringing whomever. When you look at countries that are stable politically and have something to add to the, to the table economically, then by no means. Like Malaysia, for example. Well, Malaysia is going to add a lot to the table given where its geographical location and given the amount of trade it does with China. Of course, Malaysia and India, it's nothing there. So, to my knowledge. So, uh, all right, question from, uh, Jim Pasarotri. Question: What was the response from the, the Asian press? About what? I don't know if this question is for me. Yeah, I don't know, and I can't assume. Uh, okay, let me see another question from you guys, and if not, I'm going to sign off. And go prepare, uh, the stuff for my, uh, uh, conversation with Dr. Digby James. I can't wait for that. Uh, Francis Tango. Doctor, is that enough to go to China? How long do you think you want to stay there? Uh, probably no more than 4 weeks. I can't stay long. Remember, if I am to stop by China, it will be my first time, but next year I plan on doing this one here. But, uh, yeah, if I am going to one location Yeah, but I am not. So, and, and I already figure out the cost to fly to those locations, then the, the lodging and all that stuff. So, and remember, I'm also going to be putting money from my own pocket. So it's just the way I just wanted to see how it's going to work the first time, because my thinking was, uh, to me this is now, it's almost like a university, you know. I told you I don't teach at university anymore. Here in the US, you know. And to those who do not understand why sometimes I make decisions with accepting, uh, to do advertisement for some companies, then you are missing the point, you know. I am not like this millionaire, guys. I'm not, you know. I'm smart with money. I, I live comfortably. But, but I, you know, you kind of— when I made decision, I knew what I was doing and I knew what I was getting into. Because I don't want to depend on a paycheck just because I have a pay— I don't care for that, you know. I'm creative enough to, to, to figure out ways. And, uh, so to this, to me, became like— this is like a university to me. I mean it when I say this, you know. And even the information I'm sharing here, you ain't gonna find it anywhere else. And I'm not bragging here because I don't do that kind of stuff. But you know, I— it's just the way it is. So, so short answer, Francis, if I am going to one location, yes it is, but for where I'm going, it's not. And I already did the maths and everything. So, and I hope you can reach out to me via LinkedIn, Francis, and I'd like to talk to you privately, you and Ahmed, if you could. All right, let me see another question here. Uh, uh, Rick Maxi, do you accept crypto? Here is the thing about this, uh, I do have it, I do have, and I am gonna put one. Yes, I'm gonna do that, I am going to do that. And, uh, yeah, I can do that too. I'm gonna set it up, uh, today or tomorrow and just start putting it for you. So for, for whomever wants to support the channel via crypto. So, and, and thank you very much, Rick. Uh, do you accept Venmo? Uh, yes, I— you have to be in the US, I believe. Yes, yes, I think, yeah, I think I have some account in Venmo. I haven't used it for a long time, for a long time. The only reason I use the Buy Me Coffee because I found out the percentage is very, very minimal. So this is why I didn't want to go with some other PayPal, uh, so, so, but for like, uh, GoFundMe and all that, I don't do those kind of stuff because the, uh, or, or the, or even here without mentioning the name, the percentage is so high. So, but I do have, I think, one, and I will check it out. Uh, Karakolak, I will do it, I will do that. I'm gonna go and, and take a look at it this afternoon and, uh I just reach out to them and, oh no, I do have investments in, in, in crypto, uh, because you can't count on the US dollar, by the way. You can't. Just a matter of time. Army with Harmony, uh, uh, uh, Army with Harmony, why are Chinese nationals crossing illegal into Texas and California? I don't know why. I, I'm aware of that one. And I'm just wondering, uh, but do I know for sure they are Chinese? No, I don't. No, I don't. Do you know how many— some can come in under different passports, fake IDs, you know, and some don't even have a passport, you know. That's why I'm not sure. I can't assume that they are Chinese because the logical will be, why will the Chinese will be coming all the way down here to come through the border? What for? Yeah, so I don't know, and I might— I'll, I'll ask someone here in town that, uh, understand this, or maybe around that area, and I'll check it out. Uh, okay, let me see another question if there's one. Otherwise, I'm going to sign off, and I look forward to seeing you guys on, uh, seeing you on, uh, on at 19:00 tomorrow. So for my conversation with, uh, Dr. Digby. All right, last question. Who is this lucky person? This lucky— oh, once again, Harry Lukau, thank you so much for your Super Sticker, man. Appreciate you. All right, no questions here. I'm going to sign off, guys. Uh, uh, uh, oh, question. Athen Wu. Athen Wu, here is question here. A question: who do you think attacked the civilians areas in Golan Heights? It seems to me a false flag. It is a false flag indeed. Action to get the US to fight, right? Also possible someone hits the wrong target, or even Uh, uh, or even, uh, the one that I checked on, uh, a missile was fired mistakenly from Israel. So, uh, I know there were Druze in that location. And again, like I mentioned, I might do a video for you guys because there are certain intricacies inside Lebanon that you need to understand the makeup of society to make sense of what's going on. Even inside Lebanon there are entities that are working on behalf of Israel. So yeah, that's how, uh, so, uh, I, I don't know for a fact, uh, but I did— one possibility is that a missile was fired by mistake, or it is a false flag, which makes more sense, uh, to me than any other option here. So, all right guys, I hope you found this video informative, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 1900 hours As always, remember, geopolitics impacts your daily life in more ways than one. Till next time, guys. Bye-bye.