About Secretary of State's visit to Peking 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 About Secretary of State's visit to Peking 2023/Carlos Pueblo

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, was invited to visit Peking, China for two days on official diplomatic business. This visit did expose Chinese rudeness among people who met him from the top, Xi and down to the foreign department officials. I can only conclude that Chinese are very impolite and attempting to get something to save their face.

Blinken is a top US official and represents President Biden to visit China. At least Chinese government need to send a proper official such as the foreign minister to greet him at the airport, to arrange a sedan to take him to his hotel not by a bus. After discussing matters with two Chinese top diplomats, one in Chinese foreign affairs department and the other one in the Community Party foreign apparatus. Blinken was permitted to meet Xi, the President of China and the Chairman of Chinese Communist Party. All Chinese media as well as Taiwanese media point it out Xi's seat is above Blinken on the top of a table to show that Xi is number 1 and looking down upon Blinken as a foreign subordinate. It is ridiculous.

The US and China are in the economic war via the tariff, 25%. Plus the US posts sanctions on some computer products to avoid some patent issues with China. Chinese export drops significantly, factories closed, and people unemployed that is the fact. The US White House must monitor the progress both nations agree to improve the situation. Blinken is on that mission. The US is gradually moving some Chinese import to many other nations in the rest of the world. The largest US trade partner are now Canada and Mexico. We can see many imports on the US market are from other nations not from China any longer. Some Chinese products are labeled ad Made in PRC to avoid China. PRC is the People Republic of China in short. Chinese are no longer proud of made in China to avoid the resentment.

I can point it out the world resentment in China, first in Hong Kong and second the covid19. The UK, US, and Japan are three major victim of the Hong Kong issue due to Chinese confiscate Hong Kong and violate the agreement with the UK signed in 1997. Chinese have covered up the out break of Wuhan Corona Virus or covid19 and the world have suffered huge loss of human life including China itself.

布林肯國務卿訪問北京2023／莊峻華

 布林肯國務卿訪問北京2023／莊峻華

美國國務卿安東尼.布林肯幾天前，專訪中國北京，繼二月裡美國擊落中國間牒氣球後，延遲之國事訪問，美中兩國，國事緊張，瀕臨武裝戰爭邊緣，布卿當然需要拜訪中國，避免誤會，擦槍走火，這是可理解者也，台灣和中國網路媒體，均大肆吹噓中國官方給布卿穿小鞋，故意冷落布卿，非常好笑，據報導布卿下機，無大官接機，需搭公車上釣魚台酒店等等，這是中國國務院之失禮，中國急需和美國溝通，挽救經濟崩潰之危機，美中正在關稅熱戰，中國外資撤離，加工廠關閉，國民失業等等，中國急需與美國和解，而非強調顏面之得失。布卿先見中國外長秦剛，續見中國共產黨外交首腦王毅，然後中國和台灣媒體都吹噓習近平不予接見，我開始覺得好笑，接見時又強調冷落布卿座位，真是好玩，布卿訪華主要是傳達拜登總統和當今美國政府，警告中國對台海問題，不可輕舉忘動，和國防部長奧斯汀和三軍參謀總長米利將軍兩武將，語調緩和，給足中國顏面。拜登總統聞訊，立即稀落習近平為獨裁者們之一，不知間牒氣球內有間牒器具，記者問布卿此事，布曰只要中國不再氣球挑釁，美國就此結束該案。

美中關稅戰已經開打，美國拜登團隊十分靈活，先派財卿葉倫女士訪問北京，討論中國出售美債之問題，曉以大義，中國仍舊需要有美債來穩定人民幣之本值，中國開始恢復購買美債。拜登也續派商務卿雷曼多女士訪問中國，報載討論中國停止購買波音客機一事，這是美中兩國之利益，不容擱置。至於貿易戰之問題，美國不急，等待貿易代表戴琪小姐出訪中國，始知此事涉及美國利益，不要小看美國政客，美國贏得兩次世界大戰，稱霸世界近百年，絕非蓋者也。

小看布卿是中國人，中國政權之愚昧無知，我因此專文敘述，布卿專任國務卿已經兩年餘，深得拜登總統之仰賴，中國國務院，甚至習近平本人，均甚無知，中國非倒不可也。

Trump first two criminal indictment/Carlos Pueblo

 Trump first two criminal indictment/Carlos Pueblo

Recently, former US 45th President Trump was on his second criminal indictment and 2nd arraignment in Miami Federal Court on a Federal offense, illegal possessing documents after leaving office. His first criminal indictment is in Manhattan for local criminal offense in the State of New York. There is a process of handcuff and a plea in front of a judge at the court house. Trump is facing several criminal cases such as one in Atlanta, Georgia and on January 6, 2021 D.C. riot with a total of four more. He is still very popular in the Republican side and leading the 2024 Presidential poll in Republican Party. Nixon was not that lucky after President Ford's pardon on Watergate and disappeared on the US politic until the end of his life. You may ask reasons why.

I learn the US rules of law from my daily watch of the MSNBC on the You tube from US lawyers and experts. Even though they don't mention the reasons of Trump's popularity yet I will. The Republican Party is now controlled by cults of some kinds such as the raciest or the red-neck in Texas language, the religious fundamental group, and self proclaim conservative, etc. It is a little bit lower than the 50% US population. This is a free nation above all and we all respect it.

It is very obvious of his offense of laws and common sense in his life yet he gets away of most parts. He has paid most of his civil cases out of courts, such as Trump University scandal before he entered 2016 Presidential Election. He paid out of his 7 plus business bankruptcies. He is still a rich person and he brags about it all the time and some people admire it, a man's life should be like this, the 45th, he calls himself some time.

I am glad that he is facing the law now and I expect that he would ask the media to spread a pardon from incumbent US President or the future Presidents for all his offense when he is found guilty. As a matter of the fact, some Republican candidates have already proposed his pardon after them got elected in 2024. 

川普之刑事案/莊峻華

 川普之刑事案/莊峻華

美國前總統川普，從事政治前經商，經常有民事訴訟，有過7次以上之倒閉訴訟，都是庭外和解了事，就在投入2016年總統大選前，就有著名之川普大學詐欺案，和解退費給受害學生，和律師費等超過兩千五百萬，川普食髓知味，玩弄司法，在位總統後，更是變本加厲，被罷免兩次，倖有共和黨參議員護航，2020年總統敗選後鬧事，圖謀暴徒暴力政變，攻擊國會，坐視國會危急，現在面對美國司法，有六項刑事案件，其中兩項已經偵辦結束，正式起訴，還有幾件馬上有結果將被起訴，一件民事訴訟，已經敗訴被判賠償，他有無端放話，原告再訴傷害名譽，每天川普訴訟案，佔領美國大小新聞，都是頭條。

川普是位姦商，是位大騙，講話徐徐然，但句句是謊言，沒有很好的學校教育，從小就是一紈絝子弟，講話不算話，就是言而無信，但他主張種族岐視，宗教岐視，討好美國富人減稅等，2016年獲得近半美國選民支持，騙取大位，大騙之一，就是信口開河，要墨西哥出錢蓋美墨萬里長城，阻擋非法移民，甚至自號上帝遣送他來美國當總統，更荒謬的是有美國福音派教會支持，連許多華人漢語世界，都泯滅良知，一脈支持。

倖好拜登上台，白宮恢復領導世界之功能，美國控制好中國之武漢肺炎，白宮團隊有效之掌握機制，應付通貨澎漲，有效支持烏克蘭抵抗俄羅斯，美金恢復強勢信用，連我的退休金都恢復，川普司法案，讓我更加了解美國法治。

拜登已經領導世界，經濟制裁中國，這是迫使中國開第一槍之手段，經濟戰是美英日在香港吃上悶虧後，又是武肺之害，中國無意遵守條約，講話不算話，拜登團隊只好做好其他打算矣。

Coming back from a 12 day cruise to Lisbon, Portugal 2023/Carlos Pueblo

 Coming back from a 12 day cruise to Lisbon, Portugal 2023/Carlos Pueblo

It took about two full days to complete my return from Lisbon, Portugal to Houston, Texas after a 12 day cruise mostly at sea. You would ask me if it is worth for me take these kinds of trip over and over again. I have no answers to that. I am a lonely person yet I like to travel around the world and cruising is the most comfortable journey for me at this time.

The journey started at Ft. Carnarval, Florida more than two weeks ago. I flied to Orlando, Florida a day before the ship embark. It was very different from what my last experience, a trip coming back from the port to Orlando Airport with a private shuttle bus. This time I had to take a cruise liner arranged bus to the port in time to make sure to be boarded.

Very soon after getting on the huge ship, I noticed that several staff whom I got to know on my previous cruising experience recognized me. After only a few hours, more staff came forward greeting me. We still can remember our first encountering which are very fond memories. I love to cruise and enjoy it very much.

We were running into a rain on our first disembark at a private island owned by the cruise liner. I was prepared before getting off the ship on a tender boat. We couldn't enjoy the facilities provided in the island, yet we did have our Garden Cafe type of lunch before heading back to the more comfortable ship.

It had been a 9 days at sea. It's the reason why the cruise is attracted to frugal people like me, the cost price is low during an inflation and the summer vacation season. The ship was fully booked. I found my way to fully enjoyed myself. We did disembark at Ponta Delagarda and Funchal before reaching Lisbon,

My bet to take a public train to the airport worked. A kindly couple guided me to a down stair terminal to board a light rail transit system. They kindly guided me to follow them to make a change of another train. A local young man helped me to carry my heavy one luggage down stair.

自葡萄牙里斯本跨大西洋郵輪旅行歸來2023/莊峻華

 自葡萄牙里斯本跨大西洋郵輪旅行歸來2023/莊峻華

兩日前始由葡萄牙里斯本搭機返回休市，結束一12日橫跨大西洋之郵輪旅行，郵輪行不累，倒是接駁飛機甚累，回到家後，需要幾日休息。從里斯本下船，設法搭乘地鐵，提行李上下樓，若非熱心青年幫忙，真會困著於車站，從里斯本回休市，飛機客滿，轉機候機超過28小時。

這次旅行船期12日，僅停靠三岸，其餘9日均在海上渡日夜，因此很多休息時間，認識許多新朋友。最近是暑假開始，郵輪旺季，連此船都客滿，大船客滿很是熱鬧，到處是排隊，餐廳酒吧等都很熱鬧，連賭場夜晚都是搶搶滾，想來郵輪賺錢。

首站巴哈馬一郵輪擁有小島，因不巧下雨，連郵輪準備之午餐，都不便享受，就倉皇逃逸，次兩站是葡萄牙兩島，德拉龐特港和芳雀爾港，都是漂亮花園城市，有600餘年歷史，芳雀爾居然種植香蕉為業，我在該島兩鎮搭車逛街。

Returning visit to St. John, New Brunswick, Canada 2022/Carlos Pueblo

 Returning visit to St. John, New Brunswick, Canada 2022/Carlos Pueblo

St. John is a port that cruise ships make often stop on their routes in northeast America or the transatlantic on the north Atlantic Ocean. I am quite familiar to the scenery of the port and also feel related to it. I always remember a story told by my former professor about one of his student came to this city to have a graduate study and kept the correspondence wihh him. I do see a downtown campus of the University of New Brunswick yet I feel that may not be the main campus.

I was accompanied with my new found neighbor friend and her group to march on the downtown for several blocks, then I took it back to the ship for lunch. I prepared to have an excursion in the afternoon for a small bus ride to the city. A guide described the history of the city , its industry, and its significant. There is a rich family who owns a city paper mill as long a petroleum refinery, the only one in this area of three provinces. We did pass through several residential area including a mansion of this family. The trip ended at a paper mill by the bank of a river to the sea front.

It is very cold in this area during the winter. The ancestors of this area were from the former U.S. continent. they were the royalists who lost their lands due to the the revolution. The King gave them back their lands which were lost and protected them from the briefly aggression of the newly established U.S. Of course, the King got the new land from defeated France. It's a very interesting story of Canadian history.

It's very lovely town and I shall have my second opportunity to visit this town on my second back of this cruise.