In a move many called “decisive,” Chinese president Xi Jinping has announced a military and economic partnership with the uninhabited islands just north of Antarctica.
Previously, President Donald Trump had announced a 10 percent tariff on the island, due to a misfiled $1.4 million trade deficit.
Strategic analyst and former White House staffer John Seward declared the move “contentious.”
“I think the main problem with these islands is climate change,” Seward said. “Sure, the melting ice makes these islands valuable as refueling stations in potential new trade routes through Antarctica; but that same melt will submerge the territory.”
Seward added that while he doesn’t believe the trade deficit to be “that big of a deal,” he is a bit confused about how “the penguins are able to export machinery and electrical parts.”
According to the World Bank and Harvard Growth Lab’s Atlas of Economic Complexity, the Heard and McDonald islands mainly import watches, petroleum, and gold. What the penguins are doing with this material is left to speculation. However, President Xi promised “great things” from the partnership and said that “with Chinese-Penguin relations, any time of the year is spring.”When National Geographic reached out, the penguins declined to comment.
Article By Emmett Coughlan