Seeds of Wisdom RV and Economics Updates Wednesday Morning 2-25-26

25/02/2026

Good Morning,

EU–China Trade Talks Intensify in Beijing

Currency pressure, industrial overcapacity, and strategic rivalry redefine Europe–China economic relations

Overview

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met with Xi Jinping in Beijing in a high-stakes effort to reset strained trade ties between Europe and China.

At the center of discussions were three core friction points:

Currency valuation pressures
Industrial subsidies and state-backed overcapacity
Market access and technology competition

The talks signal a pivotal recalibration in EU trade strategy toward China, especially in advanced manufacturing, green tech, and semiconductor-linked supply chains.

Key Developments

1. Currency Friction Intensifies
Merz urged Beijing to allow greater appreciation of the yuan, arguing that currency management distorts competitiveness and widens Europe’s trade imbalance. A stronger yuan would theoretically narrow export advantages in sectors where European manufacturers face heavy price pressure.

2. Industrial Overcapacity Under Scrutiny
European officials raised concerns over Chinese industrial overproduction, particularly in electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, and steel. The EU argues that state-backed subsidies allow excess goods to flood European markets at artificially low prices — fueling protectionist sentiment across member states.

3. Strategic Technology Sensitivities
The discussions also reflected heightened EU caution in advanced manufacturing and tech sectors, including semiconductors, AI-linked components, and clean energy systems. Europe seeks both cooperation and protection — balancing economic engagement with industrial sovereignty.

4. Protectionist Winds Rising in Europe
Domestic political pressures within the EU are mounting. Farmers, industrial unions, and automotive manufacturers increasingly demand safeguards against low-cost imports, pushing Brussels toward a more assertive trade posture.

Why It Matters

This meeting underscores a structural shift in global trade dynamics.

Europe is no longer operating solely within a liberal trade framework — it is recalibrating toward strategic economic defense. The EU is signaling that market access will increasingly depend on:

Reciprocity
Transparency in subsidies
Currency alignment
Industrial fairness

The era of unchallenged export dominance is being politically contested. This could reshape:

Global manufacturing flows
EV and clean-tech supply chains
Currency stability debates
WTO enforcement mechanisms

This is not just currency debate — it is monetary leverage in motion.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

Currency valuation is no longer a background issue — it is a geopolitical instrument.

If the EU presses harder on yuan appreciation:

The U.S. dollar’s relative strength dynamics may shift
The euro’s competitiveness posture may change
Capital flows into European manufacturing sectors could accelerate
BRICS currency cooperation discussions may intensify

Persistent disputes over industrial dumping and currency valuation often lead to:

Tariffs
Trade barriers
Fragmented payment systems
Diversification away from dollar-centered settlement

Foreign currency holders should watch for:

Yuan volatility
Euro trade rebalancing
Escalation into formal EU trade defense actions
Broader global trade bloc fragmentation

This is not just trade tension — it is economic architecture under renegotiation.

This is not merely a bilateral meeting — it is a strategic inflection point in global economic power distribution.

Implications for the Global Reset

Pillar 1: Currency Realignment Pressure
If Europe forces currency concessions, it challenges export-led models that rely on undervaluation — shifting monetary leverage.
Pillar 2: Industrial Sovereignty Over Free Trade
The EU’s pivot reflects a broader movement toward strategic autonomy in critical sectors, signaling a retreat from pure globalization.

This is not merely about tariffs — it is about who controls manufacturing capacity, capital flows, and technological dominance in the next economic cycle.

Conclusion

The Merz–Xi meeting reflects a deeper transformation in global economic architecture.

Europe is balancing between engagement and protection. China is defending its export model. Both are navigating a world of supply chain fragmentation and geopolitical risk premiums.

Trade diplomacy is no longer transactional — it is structural.

Seeds of Wisdom Team
Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

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Madagascar Signals BRICS Pivot as Russia Rebuilds African Footprint

Island nation accelerates Moscow ties in energy, military, and media as BRICS expansion reshapes Africa’s geopolitical alignment

Overview

Madagascar’s foreign policy recalibration is no longer symbolic — it is operational. Interim President Michael Randrianirina traveled to Moscow, met with Vladimir Putin, and signaled that alignment with BRICS is becoming a strategic objective rather than diplomatic rhetoric.

The revival of the Madagascar–Russia partnership, dormant since the Soviet era, now anchors Antananarivo’s international positioning. Energy, military modernization, humanitarian coordination, and media cooperation are all being placed under a broader Russia–Africa cooperation framework.

This is not just diplomacy — it is realignment.

Key Developments

1. Energy & Industrial Investment: Gazprom and Rosatom in Focus

President Randrianirina openly invited Russian state-linked energy giants Gazprom and Rosatom to explore joint projects.

Strategic Implication:
Madagascar is positioning energy partnerships as the backbone of its BRICS engagement. Access to Russian capital, technology, and infrastructure expertise could accelerate industrial capacity — but it also deepens Moscow’s leverage in the region.

Energy cooperation is often the first step in long-term strategic integration.

2. Military Modernization Rooted in Soviet Legacy

Randrianirina emphasized that the Malagasy armed forces have historically relied on Russian equipment and now seek modernization through renewed defense cooperation.

Strategic Implication:
Military continuity creates institutional familiarity and dependency. Reviving defense ties cements Moscow’s influence in Madagascar’s security architecture — reinforcing Russia’s broader Africa defense diplomacy model.

Across Africa, security partnerships frequently precede economic alignment.

3. Humanitarian Diplomacy: Cyclone Aid as Strategic Soft Power

Following severe cyclones, Russia delivered humanitarian support, including an Mi-8 helicopter and logistical equipment.

Strategic Implication:
Humanitarian aid functions as strategic soft power. Tangible assistance reinforces diplomatic goodwill and accelerates political alignment. Aid deliveries create visible proof of partnership — strengthening Moscow’s credibility as an alternative to Western-led frameworks.

4. Media Access and Information Realignment

Randrianirina extended an invitation to Russian state media outlet RT to operate in Madagascar, framing it as a commitment to media diversity.

Strategic Implication:
Information access shapes geopolitical narrative. Opening media space to Russian platforms signals alignment not only in economics and defense — but also in information architecture.

Narrative influence is a core component of modern geopolitical power.

Why It Matters

BRICS expansion in Africa is accelerating. Madagascar’s pivot adds to a growing pattern of African governments reassessing legacy Western relationships in favor of diversified global partnerships.

Key themes emerging:

Energy security over traditional aid frameworks
Military modernization through non-Western suppliers
Bilateral cooperation bypassing multilateral gatekeepers
Soft power through infrastructure and humanitarian support

Madagascar is not acting in isolation — it is participating in a broader continental recalibration.

Why It Matters to Foreign Currency Holders

From a global reset lens, Madagascar’s alignment highlights three structural shifts:

Multipolar Financing Networks – BRICS-linked investment channels reduce dependence on Western-dominated financial institutions.
Commodity & Resource Strategy – African nations with strategic minerals gain leverage in global supply chains.
Sanctions-Resilient Trade Corridors – Bilateral energy and defense agreements create alternative settlement pathways outside traditional systems.

As BRICS influence expands in Africa, the architecture of global capital flows becomes more fragmented — and more competitive.

Multipolar Power Expands — Island Nations Join the Shift

Implications for the Global Reset

Pillar 1: Economic Diversification Outside Western Frameworks

Energy, military, and industrial deals increasingly bypass traditional Bretton Woods institutions.

Pillar 2: Strategic Sovereignty Through Alignment Choices

Countries are redefining sovereignty as the ability to choose between blocs rather than remain dependent on one.

Madagascar’s pivot reinforces a broader truth: geopolitical alignment is now an economic strategy.

This is not merely diplomatic repositioning — it is structural realignment in motion.

Seeds of Wisdom Team

Newshounds News™ Exclusive

Sources

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🌱 A Message to Our Currency Holders🌱

If you’ve been holding foreign currency for many years, you were not foolish.
You were not wrong to believe the global financial system would change.

What failed was not your patience — it was the information you were given.

For years, dates, rumors, and personalities replaced facts, structure, and proof. “This week” predictions created cycles of hope and disappointment that were never based on how currencies actually change.

That is not your failure.

Our mission here is different: • No dates • No rates • No hype • No gurus

Instead, we focus on:
• Verifiable developments • Institutional evidence
• Global financial structure • Where countries actually sit in the process

Currency value changes only come after sovereignty, trade, banking, settlement systems, and fiscal coordination are in place. History and institutions confirm this sequence.

You will see silence. You will see denials. That is not delay — that is discipline.

Protect your identity. Organize your documents. Verify everything.
Never hand your discernment to anyone who cannot show proof.

You deserve truth — not timelines.