* University of Montana student Guthrie McLean was recently arrested in China over reportedly injuring a taxi driver in defense of his mother, who is deaf. Chinese authorities threatened to imprison him for up to three years if a $7,400 fine wasn’t paid. According to Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, the family didn’t pay that amount–and declined further comment. Guthrie has since been released.
The takeaway after reading between the lines: This isn’t North Korea. Relatively modest extortion can be negotiated.
* We all know that the key to having any chance of reining in North Korea is China. It subsidizes Kim Jong-un’s “economy” and enables his unhinged autocracy. We also have to wonder what impact last month’s arms sales to Taiwan will have. Rex Tillerson’s state department approved $1.4 billion in missiles, torpedoes and technical support. That might be enough right there to offset any diplomatic gains from Trump’s hosting of Xi Jinping and his wife at that Mar-a-Lago dinner date.