《金融时报》8月21日发表评论称，即使以美国总统特朗普的标准来看，这也是一次堪称屈辱的退让。去年11月，这位美国总统撤回了对中国加征关税的威胁，换取北京同意将稀土及其他矿产的出口管制暂停一年。特朗普政府声称，此后利用这段时间提高美国自身的矿产产量，并确保从盟友那里获得供应，试图削弱北京凭借关键原材料所拥有的强大制衡能力。 "What the revelations appear to show is that there was a close relationship between Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, and that there was likely high mutual awareness of one another’s business interests and, possibly, mutual support for some of these," said Joseph Oliver Boyd-Barrett, a professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University. "I don’t think the scandal has the power in itself of firing widespread outrage against Biden: there are just too many other things to be outraged about just now.",A review of Hunter Biden's personal calendar on the so-called "laptop from hell", which was abandoned by Hunter at a repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, in April 2019, shows that the younger Biden and his business associate Eric Schwerin frequently met with then-US VP Joe Biden between 2008 and 2016. Hunter held at least 30 business meetings with his father either in the White House or the latter's vice-presidential residence, the Naval Observatory. Schwerin was reportedly invited to 21 out of the 30 confabs.,The New York Post found that all of the meets occurred days or even hours after Hunter's negotiations with high-profile foreign clients, prompting the media outlet to suggest that the younger Biden apparently discussed his business dealing with his father. The Post even goes so far as to not rule out that Hunter passed messages and requests from his clients to the then-vice president.,'Laptop From Hell': Hunter Biden's Calendar Suggests President Joe Was Well Aware of Business Trips17 July, 16:44 GMT,The latest revelation apparently has earmarks of an influence-peddling scheme, according to Charles Ortel, a Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist. What's more, Hunter's dealings with foreign tycoons and politicians have already been in the crosshairs of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for quite a while.,"In theory, at least one US attorney has been investigating Hunter Biden and likely others for years, possibly in conjunction with a grand jury," said Ortel. "If this investigation is serious and objective, it must examine how Joe Biden and his family amassed so much wealth during decades of 'public service'.",However, "the practice of trading influence for off-market financial benefits is not confined to the Bidens or to Democrats alone," the analyst pointed out, asking rhetorically: "How did the Obamas, Bushes and Clintons become so wealthy?",At the same time, an in-depth investigation into the Bidens' shady conduct could also shed light on the unfolding Ukraine crisis, given Joe's role as Barack Obama's Ukraine appointee shortly after the 2014 coup d’état in Kiev, and Hunter's service at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma at the time, according to Boyd-Barrett.,"It would be important, in a more rational polity – which of course this isn’t – to look very critically indeed at Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s peculiar history with the 2014 coup and, subsequently, with Ukrainian energy interests, even marveling at the possibility that a private history with Ukrainian elites may have contributed to a fatally rash misreading of the events of February 24 and the lead-up to it," the professor said.,Talented Mr Biden: Hunter's Art Sales Reek of Pay-to-Play But DoJ Lost Sense of Smell, Analysts Say29 October 2021, 13:00 GMT,Laptop From Hell Exposure Comes Ahead of Midterms,The timing of the latest revelation comes as partisan strife for the control over the US Congress intensifies. The specter of the GOP jumping at the opportunity to use Joe's apparent involvement in his son's business activities to crush the Dems during the midterms and impeach the US president with a congressional majority has been raised.,While Republicans "may well, in effect, take control by next year," it is unclear whether they will double down on investigating the Bidens, especially given the mainstream press' reluctance to cover the issue, according to Boyd-Barrett.,The professor suggested that the GOP "could weigh the advantages earned them by the Durham investigation" instead. Special Counsel John Durham's indictments of former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann and ex-MI6 agent Chris Steele's source Igor Danchenko are very important for the Republicans as they help debunk the Russiagate hoax and mainstream media lies about Donald Trump's "collusion" with Russia, according to the academic.,Durham's Probe: Hillary Clinton Sowed Dragon's Teeth by Peddling Trump-Russia Hoax, Analyst Says5 October 2021, 16:30 GMT,Could Joe Biden be Impeached?,House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik previously signaled that she would subpoena Hunter Biden if Republicans win back control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. She noted that the Post's latest exposure appears to be yet more evidence of corruption.,While potential House investigations into the Bidens may indeed take place and even turn into impeachment hearings if the lower chamber is controlled by the GOP, the fate of this effort seems unclear, according to Ortel.,"Conservative, non-RINO [Republicans in Name Only] candidates now appear poised to win a wave election in 2022," he projected. "Things may change, but no current projections show Republicans reaching 67 out of 100 seats in the US Senate which is the number of votes required to convict an impeached person.",What's more possible, according to the analyst, is that the Democrats, already damaged by Joe Biden's incompetent domestic and foreign policies, will turn on him and force him out.,"Influence-shapers are far to the left of Joe Biden and mounting evidence shows they are done protecting Biden and rightly so," Ortel said.,If Joe Biden steps down, it's unlikely that the Dems will agree to see Kamala Harris replacing him, the analyst continued.,"Behind the scenes, major Democrat donors are trying to decide whether they can convince Michelle Obama to jump in and also to convince the Clintons to remain home with all their political and personal baggage packed up for good," he said, projecting that a new centrist Democrat presidential candidate could potentially emerge in order to fill Joe's shoes.。
二 | 这种说法被严重夸大了。
三 | 要与中国抗衡，不仅需要投入巨额资金支持企业、为生产商提供价格保障，还需要毫不妥协地追求生产效率，并建立一个持久的国际联盟，以确保获得美国本土并不出产的矿产。相反，特朗普政府展现出来的却是其一贯的任人唯亲、笨拙的胁迫手段，以及反复无常的“美国优先”外交政策。这严重损害了美国作为国际矿产协议核心支柱的信誉。当然，无论是在资金还是行政层面，美国政府确实采取了一系列密集行动。特朗普政府甚至采取了非同寻常的做法，直接入股多家公司，并推出了令人眼花缭乱的采购担保、信贷支持、贷款和补贴措施，据其声称，总金额达到300亿美元。其最具实质性的海外举措，是去年10月与澳大利亚签署的一项协议，该协议已经促使美国投资澳大利亚的矿业项目。
四 | 分析称，但除了澳大利亚，以及刚果民主共和国等一两个容易受到压力的国家之外，美国通常采取的不过是具有胁迫性质的单边倾斜式双边贸易协议，同时试图召集一个自愿参与的国际联盟。
五 | 这两种做法似乎都不足以对中国的主导地位构成真正威胁。这些“炮舰式协议”中被塞入了一些条款，试图迫使美国的贸易伙伴将其他国家排除在客户之外，并把本国矿产出口到美国，而不是供应本国工业。
六 | 这些条款缺乏取得成功所必需的法律和经济可信度。以印度尼西亚为例。该国生产全球三分之二的镍，而镍被广泛用于电池、太阳能技术和风力涡轮机。过去10年里，中国企业在印尼投入巨资，建立起从矿产开采到最终产品的完整镍供应链。特朗普试图通过一项协议与中国竞争，迫使印度尼西亚向美国供应镍，但今年2月，美国最高法院裁定特朗普威胁实施的关税违宪，使这项协议受到严重削弱。特朗普政府匆忙推出替代性关税，但这些关税在法律和政治层面同样存在不确定性，而且印度尼西亚至今尚未批准这项协议。如此混乱的局面，不可能压倒印尼与中国之间建立在实实在在的投资和具体成果基础上的关系。特朗普政府更广泛的多边构想同样面临严重的信誉问题。今年2月，特朗普召集54个国家，试图保障关键矿产供应链。其中最早将这一构想付诸实践的尝试之一，是在今年6月于法国举行的七国集团会议上展开的。但要真正对中国的生产能力构成挑战，任何计划都必须纳入需求端战略，并设定价格下限，从而保证即使面对中国的低价倾销，生产商仍能获得稳定收入。欧洲各国政府尤其对此高度怀疑：它们几乎不相信美国制定价格机制时会考虑自身利益之外的其他国家利益。欧盟并没有忘记特朗普今年1月试图为了格陵兰的矿产资源而吞并该岛。过去一个月发生的一件事，恰好再次提醒人们特朗普的这种野心：格陵兰政府不得不警告一个与亲特朗普电视主持人“菲尔博士”（Dr Phil）有关联的矿业财团，不得在未经许可的情况下开始钻探石油。在更广泛的向矿业公司提供资金的过程中，数十亿美元被拨给了一些在这一领域往往缺乏业绩记录、却与特朗普政府内部人士存在经济联系的企业。分析称，与中国数十年来高度集中而坚定的政策相比，美国这套杂乱无章的行动显得相形见绌。2010年代初期，中国曾试图通过稀土管制向日本施压。如今，一条受到严格管控的供应链诞生了，生产被整合至两大主要集团——中国稀土集团和中国北方稀土。
七 | 相关企业受到严格的国家监管，包括限制有关技术向海外传播，同时走私行为也会面临非常严厉的刑事处罚。中国实施出口管制所造成的供应中断，仍然在发挥影响力。最近，铒的价格突然大幅上涨。铒是一种用途相对小众的稀土元素，此轮涨价源于市场担忧：今年11月出口管制“休战期”结束后，中国可能对铒实施限制。分析称，美国的人均经济实力仍远比中国雄厚。
八 | 但在争夺和控制关键矿产这类经济“咽喉”方面，美国领导层的无能却常常使其落在后面。等到这段“休战期”结束时，美国恐怕仍未取得多少实质性进展，中国手中的贸易武器也不会比以前弱多少。
