Trump’s tariffs might spell the end of China versus Why China is not afraid of a trade war with Trump. Economic commentators are grasping at complete opposites as the unknown unknowns mount.
One scenario says if the US leverages the rest of the world to close off their markets to China it could spell trouble for China’s economy, which is already battling extraordinary debt, slow growth, deflationary pressures and a failing real estate market and could be the downfall of Xi Jinping.
Another scenario where China invades Taiwan and threatens to cut off Western access to its rare earth minerals is not a far-fetched one and demonstrates the unhealthy reliance we have created on critical Chinese supply chains.
China has already raised its own tariffs against the US, restricting Hollywood movies, probably banning the import of American poultry and other agricultural products, hitting back against American services companies like law and consultancy firms, and suspending co-operation in the fight against fentanyl smuggling.
China could out-tough Trump given that it is a totalitarian state and thus less concerned about their people suffering. And it has recently made a drive to diversify its markets, bringing growing markets in south and southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America into its economic orbit.
Xi Jinping, 15 June 1953, has a similar Gemini Sun to Trump, 14 June 1946 10.54 am New York, and their relationship chart has an emphasized power-struggling-for-the-upper-hand composite Jupiter Pluto conjunction which sits midway between Venus trine Neptune. The highly-strung mood of the moment will continue into 2026 with tr Neptune and then tr Saturn square the composite Uranus giving rise to tensions and eruptions with more stand-offs in 2028.
Trump’s chart relocated to Beijing puts his Mars in Leo in the 7th house of allies and enemies with his Pluto also conjunct the Descendant from the 6th for a combative mood. The China 1912 chart also has its bulldozer Mars in Taurus sitting exactly on Trump’s Midheaven for a competitive clash; with its Neptune conjunct his Saturn for deep suspicion.
Xi Jinping’s Saturn Neptune is conjunct Trump’s 2nd house Jupiter raising red flags about Xi’s motives when it comes to undermining Trump’s finances.
Trump’s relationship chart with China 1 January 1912, looks exceedingly stressed, undermined and at odds right through his coming term till late decade with tr Neptune Saturn conjunct the composite Sun from this May onwards, worsening in 2026 and on as both planets make hard aspects to the composite Sun Uranus opposition Mercury square Mars.
The Bank of China chart 1 December 1948, is showing signs of loss and disappointment as an undermining Solar Arc Neptune will conjunct their Mars Jupiter in 2026; with tr Neptune Saturn adding to the downward slide in square to Mars Jupiter in 2026/27. With further financial pressures in 2027. But they are hardly alone in facing difficult headwinds where their economy is concerned.
The China 1912 chart is in trouble in 26/27 from Solar Arc Pluto square their Neptune (which could be a natural disaster) and will be facing an explosive and insecure 2028 with SA Uranus conjunct their Mars in Taurus.
Clearly Trump reacts to China like a bull to a red flag.
Add ON: Useful facts courtesy of the FT. More than half the smartphones sold in America are iPhones and 80 per cent of those are made in China. “Liberation day” was not supposed to mean liberation from their smartphones.”
80 per cent of the world’s air conditioners are made in China; along with three quarters of the electric fans America imports. 75 per cent of the dolls and bicycles that the US imports are also made in China. China makes almost 50 per cent of the ingredients that go into the antibiotics that Americans depend on. The F35, the backbone of the US Air Force, requires rare-earth components sourced from China. The Chinese are also the second-largest foreign owners of US Treasury bonds — which could matter at a time when the market is under strain.
I think it is not so much the tariffs that are upsetting the markets as the uncertainty. We had a scaling up of tariffs on China for a few days, then smartphones, laptops and some computer goods were exempt from the tariffs (but it is unclear if they are completely exempt from all tariffs or exempt from the China tariff and subject to the 10% global tariff), then the Commerce Secretary goes on TV to state that the exemption for computer goods and smartphones is only temporary as the Trump administration is now working on sectoral tariffs.
It is utter chaos. Business planning and supply chains are built over decades and one can’t plan when the government changes its mind on a daily or hourly basis.
This is like an economic repeat of Rachel and Ross’s romance in Friends. Nobody knows if “we were on a break” or not.
I am hoping that Marjorie’s prediction of the last week of April (only a week away now) and the first week of May being significant for Trump come true.
As an aside, the Canadian and Australian national elections are on the back-to-back weekends of 28th April and 3rd May. I hope that there will be posts by Marjorie on those elections and their results in the coming weeks. I suspect that both incumbent Prime Ministers will win big majorities. When nations are faced by an external threat (like Trump), there is normally a rallying around the flag and the existing government. Improbably, even the independence-minded Quebecois are rallying around national Canadian parties rather than the Bloc Quebecois.
China’s astrology chart for 1st Oct 1949, 3:15 p.m. Beijing, has Moon at 3 Aquarius 11 conjunct the Ascendant at 5 Aquarius 56.
Both are catching conjunctions from tr Pluto. Conjunctions from tr Pluto to the Moon are devastating. And when the US experienced tr Pluto conjuncting it’s ascendant, 9/11 happened. Pluto aspects are horrible.
Trump is clearly a fool for tariffing the whole world. He’s clearly assinine to claim Australia and the UK are taking advantage of the US when the Americans run trade surpluses with both. Such fibs undermine alliances.
But he’s not wrong about China, see the shennanigans at Scunthorp.
We’re in a world where both China and the US have gone rogue, and the equally predatory EU has prioritised environmentally destroying British fishing grounds over security. While pretending they care about ecology. Ha!
This is an unprecedented time for the middle powers – Britain, Canada, Australia, NZ, surrounded by sharks on all sides.
I have a little bit of a question about this part: “… hereby the US financial sector in its lust for profit has now started to cannibalise the American economy by moving production to a location it cannot control politically.” What do you mean “now”? This has been going on for quite some time now and happened mainly because America wants a lot and cheaply, and China provided. The other problem is that America owns China in the sense that if America falls into ruin, China won’t get its money back, since it is the majority holder of the American debt, I think. A woman was also on the Times Radio this afternoon saying how a trade war is certainly not in the interest of China.
But I wonder planetarily what cycle announced the economic rapprochement of these two countries? We now might be in either a square or maybe more likely an opposition to that first planetary alignment/position of the beginning.
I’ve just take a peek at Donald Trump’s kundli (Vedic astrology chart). He is a Jyeshtha nakshatra (lunar mansion where his Moon is). Jyeshtha is The Chief or Elder Star and is ruled by Indra, the king of gods, symbolizing power, authority, and victory. Its Shakti, power, is the power to overcome obstacles and achieve goals through dedicated effort and perseverance. People born under this nakshatra are often described as ambitious, hardworking, and driven, with a desire to rise to higher positions, and may be strong-willed (and have a strong sense of responsibility). This nakshatra is in Scorpio, and, of course, the Moon is debilitated there.
Trump also has Sun, Jupiter (which is retrograde), Venus, and Saturn in an enemy friendship. His Mercury is in its rulership (Mercury), so after all he knows some things about communication and reasoning.
Weirdly, or absolutely not, he has ascendant in Magha (!) nakshatra, The Star of Power (whose symbol is the Royal Throne Room, Animal the Male Rat, and Bird the Eagle), as well as Mars (exalted), which is in a friend friendship.
And, lo and behold, “Magha nakshatra is ruled by the Ancestors. Its basis above is mourning. Its basis below is leaving the body (tyage kshepani shakti). There together bring about death. Magha Nakshatra causes a change of state or condition, a kind of death. Usually it shows that we are coming to the end of a cycle.” Sapienti sat. “It tells us we must honor our ancestors and ancestral energies.”
Among many yogas in his chart, he has the Vesi Yoga, with Mercury, which, according to Charak, is “sweet-tongued, handsome, capable of befooling others”.
Trump also started his 2nd mandate in Vishti karana (lunar halfday in Vedic astrology), and here is what the karana does:
“• KARAN: Karana points to actions that can be done, i.e. ‘Karaneeya Karma’. That is, Karana is a pointer towards the work or actions that can be executed in that specified period of time; actions that would yield positive or beneficial results if done in that time”.
I think Vishti is the worst karana. It is ruled by Yama, the god of death. It is a karana suitable for war, igniting fire, poisoning, destruction of enemies, and overcoming of difficulties. It is ruled by Shani Graha (the planet Saturn).
“China won’t get its money back, since it is the majority holder of the American debt, I think.”
Japan is the country that holds the highest percentage of US debt outside the US itself, at about 12%. China and the UK are the second and third holders of US debt, both at about 8%. The UK is a few hundreds of a percentage point behind China, but not that far off.
I read somewhere that it is the Japanese who shot discreetly across the US bow by igniting the bond selloff that prompted Trump’s selective reversal last week. A little tug to show him they were displeased. I’m sure the Chinese and others took note.
From what I read (on Twitter so may be somewhat dodgy), a Japanese hedge fund (not the government) may have gone under, due to the turmoil caused by Trump’s sudden actions. And essentially they had to have a fire sale of their assets, including US treasuries/bonds.
Essentially non-government actors may also have a role in this. That of course complicates diplomatic/government-to-goverment actions and compromises.
But everybody has now noticed the US’s/Trump’s Achilles Heel of the bond markets.And that will likely affect their future behaviour.
and weirdly tiny Luxembourg is next along w Belgium…why?
Has anyone noticed that the recent pics of T show him without his trademark “too long” necktie? Did he suffer some kind of breathing/respiratory ailment?
He does not look healthy at all…
Larry, he does seem unwell. Trump’s vocal tone seems more subdued and monotone. One of Marjorie’s past articles noted
“His Inauguration chart is also
highlighting late April into May as loss-
making, confused and insecure. With a
mental meltdown mid June into early
July.”
According to NPR:
“President Trump “exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit,” according to White House physician Capt. Sean Barbabella.”
“The medical report also showed that Trump weighs 224 pounds, 20 pounds lighter than he weighed in 2020.”
@PC, interestingly though, they did mention several ailments, including some skin issues caused by eccessive sun exposure and a rectal polyp. They also do not mention the “perfect” cognitive tests, but circumvent it by saying DJT is active and capable of fulfilling his presidential duties.
Thank you Solaia,
Fortunately, it would seem that there is little reason to fret about either of the first two things.
For anyone facing the prospect of a colonoscopy, a benign polyp is unexceptional, happily that was the case in this instance.
It is relatively routine in Canada to have colonoscopies every five years after turning 40. The premise is that polyps only turn cancerous after seven years, if at all. I’ve actually observed a number of polyps removed over the years, under closed circuit video while undergoing this procedure.
As for the other, it would be impressive for a fair haired septuagenarian to have no skin issues at all due to sun exposure.
Sun screen, if available, was not then widely used. They had sun tan lotion, which I believe was didn’t do much other than smell really nice.
We should at least acknowledge that Trump is on the record as repeatedly taking cognitive tests.
In the last administration under Biden, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted that his medical team deemed such tests unnecessary.
The problem with “the US leverages the rest of the world to close off their markets to China” is that Trump treats its allies poorly (if that’s what he even considers them). A deal-maker he is not. This has already brought Spain into China’s arms, and the latter is calling out to the EU, which had been previously been wary of China – and wisely – to unite with it. Which would not only with its own economy but with any international reaction to any invasion of Taiwan.
Meanwhile he’s forced to learn his limitations (real-world market and banking systems) as he blinked again this evening (likely again to avoid the media) and reduced or removed tariffs on certain electronics such as smartphones and computers from China.
This is a scenario where neither is the ‘good guy’, (can’t even say there is a lesser of two evils), so maybe the best outcome for the world is that they damage each other without hurting the rest of us too much…
@terri, as expected, Trump blinked. Tariffs are off to largest Chinese exports to the US. But not knowning how to truly negotiate as the “underdog” seems not to be only Trump’s issue. The whole American business elite and a large chunk of political elite simply do not know how to operate in a reality where they can’t simply bully people to have it their way.
George Conway, one of the original Never-Trumpers who turned out to be a real deal divorcing his spouse and voting for Biden and Harris, has been vocal about this. He is pointing the finger to Big Law in particular, with firms agreeing to give free assistance to Trump Administration. His argument on this being due to their this far very lucrative Mergers and Acquisitions practises where they think they have to keep in good graces with Trump Admin, failing to realize that without the economic hegemony, they will lose this business anyway is very valid. I spoke about this with a Big Law partner here in Finland the day after tariffs were announced. This business was practically dead in our small but innovative market for 18 months due to rising interest rates. The difference is, Finnish firms have seen this happen several times in the last 35 years – career span of some of the older partners and special councils. Americans, even in the grimmest of times experienced by anyone under 90, have always had buyers in their markets. But now, this is going to change, unless more people smell the coffee.
In the wake of this week’s turmoil the US has shown its greatest vulnerability: interest rates on government bonds. If it goes to 5%, the US will spend more annually on interest than on defence. And that interest rate shot up to 4.6%. Japan and China together own about 45% of those government bonds and thus have considerable influence.
Jane, love this thanks
“Xi Jinping, 15 June 1953, has a similar Gemini Sun to Trump, 14 June 1946 10.54 am New York”
I was interested to see Marjorie’s comment on Trump reacting to China “like a bull to a red flag”. The joint Gemini Sun shared by Trump and Xi Jinping aligns with fixed star El Nath, 22 Gemini, in the left horn of the Bull in the constellation Taurus. This star generally means fame and fortune.
I think the story of the Bull from the Sea tells us something about the constellation and this star too.
Jupiter/Zeus was infatuated with Europa, a beautiful young woman. As was his habit, he shape-shifted – this time into a white bull. Europa and her friends were enjoying themselves on the beach, Jupiter appeared, Europa was enchanted by the apparently gentle creature. She climbed on board. Whereupon, the Bull swam off with her to Crete. A mythic story of grooming and abduction? I also think of the famous Charging Bull sculpture in New York’s financial district. It was originally installed in 1989 in a kind of guerilla/Banksy stunt as a response to the 1987 Stock Market Crash. NY Stock Exchange chart has Sun in Taurus.
The West (Europa) was easily seduced by China (and also Russia) when money, cheap labour etc began to flow. Like Europa, they willingly climbed on board. Now we glimpse the god’s true intent and essential nature. I haven’t checked, but suspect fixed stars in the (Russian) Bears – Ursa Major and Minor may also be part of this story. One constellation perhaps symbolises the Bull market, the other the Bear market….
I’d like to add Draco, the Dragon, to this unfolding cosmic tale. In the composite of DJT and Xi Jinping Saturn is at 7 Virgo. It is aligned with Thuban, 7 Virgo, the alpha star in the huge constellation of Draco, the Dragon. Draco curves in the sky above the Bears.
“Influences: According to Ptolemy the bright stars are like Saturn and Mars. Draco gives an artistic and emotional but somber nature, a penetrating and analytical mind, much travel and many friends but danger of robbery and of accidental poisoning. It was said by the Ancients that when a comet was here poison was scattered over the world. By the Kabalists it is associated with the Hebrew letter Mem and the 13th Tarot Trump “Death.” [Robson, p.43.]”
After reading this and Hugh’s comments I looked at the various charts. Jupiter’s European Quest has become a love triangle. America has been the alpha Jupiter but now China looks to be making a play.
The Sagittarius Asc America’s Jupiter-Venus conjunction is also conjunct Aquarius’ Asc China’s Uranus.
Trump called the tariffs, Liberation Day. The tariff Aquarius Pluto was quincunx the American Cancer Jupiter-Venus.
Hugh wrote “the Republican party with its strong ties to American industrial capitalism”. The Republican Party (a Libra Ascendant) Midheaven is conjunct America’s Jupiter-Venus exactly and has Aries Mercury square. You can’t miss the action with it playing out on the Republican Midheaven. As goes America’s Jupiter-Venus, so they go.
You know, it’s funny, because the other day I had this thought that Europe’s fate (all these wars between countries, constantly on some cliff beaten by winds and waves) might change – because nomen est omen? – and for the better, if it changed its name. This myth is violent and I think Europa was sexually assaulted by Zeus? But if we were to rename Europe, to what would that be? Did it have any other names in antiquity? In languages other than Greek, where the prefix eu- should mean “good”, but then eu- in that sense I don’t think is mentioned in probable etymologies of the continent’s name.
Huh that is intriguing EL A… why was it called Europe?
I remember some years ago that the French did not want the new currency to be called the Euro, because it meant wasteland. That is if I remember correctly. Marjorie might know about this.
For Trump’s relocation chart to China, I used his birth time 10:54 am but used the
time zone for China, i.e. -8:00 AWST. This put Trump’s Mars in his 12th House of
secret enemies, ruling his 8th House of tariffs. and reciprocal tariffs.
https://ibb.co/YBqkCHY3
In countries such as Russia and China the financial sector and the industrialists are subordinate to the politicians and the party. In the USA the financiers and the industrialists have traditionally run politics.
American capitalism has always been predatory. It has spent most of the past 70 years promoting a globalist economic system whereby the free movement of goods, capital and labour served the interests of the owners of US capital who have used force where necessary to gain access to markets. They now appear have met their match in the CCP who have constructed the Chinese economy in a way that was near impossible to take over. This had mainly been done by running an internal currency that was separate from that which they use to trade with the rest of the world. It has essentially meant US businesses have faced a closed capital market and an impenetrable wall of capital controls when dealing with China. The US business and industrial sector has been allowed to invest in production in China but not to control it financially. As a consequence the CCP has managed a neat trick whereby the US financial sector in its lust for profit has now started to cannibalise the American economy by moving production to a location it cannot control politically. In addition the subsequent increase in the US current account deficit means that foreigners can increasingly buy up large amounts of American assets be they shares of conpanies or Treasury certificates with the surplus dollars they hold. I think the US politicians in their heart know what has been happening but up until recently they have been too afraid to stop what is happening because the consequences of attacking the controlling interests of US financial capitalism would be career ending.
In some ways it was inevitable that it would take a maverick from the financial sector such as Trump and the Republican party with its strong ties to American industrial capitalism to be the ones to call a time out on the game. Perhaps they are beginning to perceive that the way things are going then in 25 years time there might be no US billionaires, no Wall Street and no financial capitalism in the way that the US understands it. This is possibly why the issue is being escalated now.
Because of the underlying trends it is perhaps over simplistic to see current events purely in terms of Trump himself. I feel there is a bigger political shift going on behind the scenes. In some ways Trump is being used as an expendable political disruptor to kick a new direction in US politics into action and to raise issues that up until recently were being just glossed over.
Anyway the astrology suggests there are more upsets on the way. The tropical Uranus Ingress into Gemini chart for the 7th July 2025 drawn for Washington DC has its ascendant at 16 Gemini with Trumps natal Uranus at 17 Gemini on the angle of the 1st House and its IC at 22 Leo with Trump’s natal Mars at 26 Leo on the angle of the 4th House. The Uranus Ingress also lands exactly on the 0 Gemini Sun in 22 May 1907 Chinese Revolution chart.
Hi Hugh,
Do you have a presence on Bluesky so I can follow you? I’d like to see more of your insights.
Cheers,
Gahan
Trump is destroying both the US democracy and economy. He is the destroyer of an old and tired world system, as Hitler was. It has nothing to do with human rationality. He is a pure expression of the collective unconscious that cannot bear the status quo any longer even if that means greatly increasing the suffering in his own country and the world. This will become clear when Uranus enters Gemini this summer.
This will become clear when Uranus enters Gemini this summer.
Trump wanting to destroy America was evident the first time he ran in 2016 to anyone who was paying the slightest of attention.
The only reason he didn’t succeed the first time was that he didn’t have a plan to do so but now they are fully implementing Project 2025 which will dismantle not only the government but American democracy.
The damage that Trump has done in less than three months in office won’t ever be reversed.
@André, I am with you on this. There really isn’t some *big plan* behind Trump’s actions. His drivers are, and have always been, pursuit of personal fame and fortune and vendetta.
Not only that, the business elites are not as enlightened and guided by rational considerations people want to think. They may be geniuses on limited areas, but very few have strong cultural knowledge needed for tackling politics.
Not incidentally, I just listened to a podcast on Alfred Hugenberg. He is a relatively obscure figure now most people would remember as somehow facilitating the rise of Nazis. But he actually was a business genius who leveraged fortune accumulated leading Krupp to buy almost total media control in late Imperial and Weimar Republic German media. Yet he continuosly miscalculated in policy proposals and was ultimately sidetracked by Nazis.
Hugenberg was relevant for the times we are in astrologically in that he was of the 19th century Neptune in Aries generation, and born June 19th, 1865 was also a Sun in Gemini conjunct Uranus on Cancer. If his birthtime is correct, he was a Pisces rising and Sadgittarius MC conjunct Jupiter. To me, the chart has similarities to Trump’s, with the staunch conservatism, even revisionism, shown by a Pluto/Moon/Venus in Taurus square Leo Mars.
This is a really interesting post. Thank you.
Hugh Thanks. That is fascinating
@Hugh Fowler
What an excellent analysis, it would appear that countries or areas that keep an internal currency do better, ie, Switzerland.
Hugh, thank you for this insightful analysis.
Hugh, thank you for sharing your perspective and analysis.
Another astrologer whose article I recently read pointed out that China has been around for 5000 years, so they’ve had at least 20 Pluto Returns to sort themselves out, whereas America has stumbled badly through its first Pluto Return, and might not last much beyond it before going the way of the ancient Roman Empire.
I agree with you that China is playing the long game, and from a place of wisdom and shrewdness. The US is overmatched and will be soundly defeated by their brazen arrogance and stupidity, believing nowadays that might alone makes right will keep them on top of the world pecking order into perpetuity. They have squandered their advantages however, and despise true inner learning and growth, favoring superficialities and quick fixes instead.
I think there were a number of business captains of industry who believed that they could control Trump, who more or less openly supported his return to the Presidency. They are only now realizing that he is a problem that they cannot easily control. We see this in Charles Koch, Leonard Leo and Jamie Dimon’s recent moves to directly oppose Trump’s tariffs and the tremendous damage he is inflicting on America’s political and economic status.
He’s done such damage to the US that the positions of these men and their industries will be undermined for at least a generation, and likely far longer. If Trump lasts 4 years, the US may never recover.
For what it’s worth, Uranus in Cancer during the 2030s suggests major changes and further upheaval in the US during the post-Trump years. Perhaps America is heading for a big breakup with itself, or at least a major reorganization. Also, Neptune is on the country’s IC right now (opposing the MC) suggesting a departure from its past, which may also include the particular set of threads that bound it together since the Civil War.
Excellent Hugh. Clearsighted and astrology linked.Marjorie and your analyses are the only ones I come back to read for reference.
“Clearly Trump reacts to China like a bull to a red flag.” Nice one Marjorie!
About the motives, I’m curious if China/Xi will pull the treasury debt card on the USA/Trump.
Anyway, it seems no country will get away unscathed from what is going to happen economically.
Ohh ..there’s a numero enimity too..xi is 6 birthdate of Venus and Trump of 5 of mercury and mercury in Indian astrology is killer of Venus….i have seen charts with that truth
Indeed they aren’t alone….India is the only country whose paying for both…so none will experience difficult days till india exists…the unsung slave…
Jup in 2nd house vs saturn nept conjunct…Indian astrology mythology has jup has killer of saturn as son against cruel father so china doesn’t seem to win and Neptune is jup mole as in mythology so chinas saturn is alone against end with backstbber …
Leo vs Taurus is always intersting as patience vs courage but since genders r same….it’s new to me….
Karma isn’t on china side and that just sweeps all planets at times incl saviour