Greg Jericho
Chief Economist

Allan Behm wrote last week in Guardian: “US president Donald Trump has created a massive opportunity for America’s adversaries to capitalise on his rare facility for ceding economic, political and strategic ground to China and Russia. China’s president is now making hay in the sunshine of Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia, while his trade minister was recently in discussion with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on a joint approach to tariff imposts – three ancient enemies joined at last in common purpose”

“The starting point for our brave new world is to understand that the opportunity of a lifetime lasts only as long as the lifetime of the opportunity. We need to get cracking. We need the leadership that recognises good luck rather than looks backwards at a lost world or, even worse, cries over spilt milk. We need the confidence to engage with our neighbours and to reinvest in the diplomatic tools that are critical to creating the geopolitical capital that is now so much in demand.

And least of all do we need to start at shadows and indulge in the fear of unknown non-events and “agreements” from over-excited politicians who are making heavy weather of an election campaign.”