[kelnos]

I noticed this and found it interesting. I wonder what the motivation is here. Is the amount China stands to lose from this so low that it wasn't a hill they cared to die on? Will they use this in trade negotiations with Trump as a sign that they're being reasonable?

[ehvatum]

Trump successfully telegraphed US intention to leave the IPU and impose punishing costs on delivery of Chinese parcels in the US, making acceptance of an equitable compromise the only palatable alternative for the Chinese.

Incidentally, every Chinese person I know absolutely adores Donald Trump because he plays hard ball, whereas they didn't quite know what to think about Obama, who was totally inscrutable from the Chinese perspective. Trump lays out what he wants, and then he fights for it, and he usually gets it. As far as I can tell, people who grew up in China view that as the natural, normal, and proper way of conducting affairs.

[peteretep]

> Chinese person I know absolutely adores Donald Trump because he plays hard ball, whereas they didn't quite know what to think about Obama, who was totally inscrutable from the Chinese perspective

I have read countless well-written articles arguing exactly the opposite, so I find this interesting.

[ehvatum]

There is certainly no shortage of impeccably composed essays dumping on Trump and developing a galaxy of identity-political rationales for why various people ought to dislike him. The story on the ground is distinctly at odds with the impression I get from American media and the BBC. I'm sure they feel they are advocating for a good cause in a situation so dire that all other concerns are overridden.

[kelnos]

That sounds like a very non-nuanced view. I can understand the idea behind why a particular culture might view Trump as straightforward and Obama as inscrutable, but it's a bit insulting to suggest that's the only thing that group values, and won't look deeper into what that person actually does, and what the results are of those actions, and whether those results are good or bad.

[mcv]

Maybe they realise that the old rule was just not reasonable anymore, and they didn't want to be unreasonable about it.

Or maybe they prefer to keep the US in the UPU so they can continue sending packages there, even if it is at a higher cost.

[est]

> I wonder what the motivation is here

Less state subsidy for electronic crap exports.

[kelnos]

I expect the opposite. China may have to subsidize postage on its end in order to keep some kinds of Chinese exports competitive.