About: William Holstein

I am indebted to Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times for following up on my blog from Friday asking whether the Chinese would “weaponize” (his term) their holding of $1 trillion of U.S. government debt. Here is his piece. He notes that the usual experts don’t believe China would ever do anything with […]…

The financial markets are all atwitter about a two-day sell-off in U.S. government bonds, which is having a nasty impact on the U.S. stock market. Interest rates are increasing. Who is the largest holder of U.S. government debt? China’s government. They would not have to do anything radical to help create a sell-off. Even if […]…

With President Trump’s finger apparently poised to launch another $200 billion in tariffs on goods made in China, the Chinese are floating the idea that they could impose restrictions on the export of parts and components that American companies need to make things in the United States and elsewhere in the world. That would cripple […]…

Back in the late 1980s, the American government was frustrated by the size of Japan’s trade surplus with the United States and launched negotiations called the Structural Impediments Initiative (SII). The theory of President George H.W. Bush’s trade team was that Japan had structural barriers that prevented American companies and others from selling more parts […]…

I’m pleased that the Overseas Press Club today came out publicly to support the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Hong Kong, which is resisting pressure from both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. Here is our statement…