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**By APD writer Chu Yin and Tao Xing
**
US President Donald Trump Friday unveiled new restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba and its business with Cuban military.
With the withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Climate Agreement, Obamacare repeal and new sanctions against Iran, Trump now is in his latest move to dismantle his predecessor Obama’s legacy.
A rivalry between the two Camps in the Cold War has ended. Although as a socialist country, Cuba is not so hostile toward the U.S., nor pursues nuclear weapons to threat the U.S. The world’s largest developed country no longer kills the current Cuban government. And for most Cubans, this western country is rich and attractive.
U.S. and Cuba do not have bitter hatred. And thawing bilateral ties is good for not only two countries, but also the regional stability. So we dare to say that Trump’s new restrictions to Cuba is actually a "mistakenly hurt" by the bureaucratic infighting in Washington.
Currently, the both Houses of U.S. Congress have a fierce violent quarrel over the Russian influence on the 2016 U.S. election and Trump’s ties to Russia. One month before, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey amid investigation into alleged Russian’s election meddling. He now may be charged with obstructing of justice. According to the Washington Post, Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Trump for obstructing of justice and has launched the investigation to his son-in-law Jared Kushner, one of the people Trump trusts, over his ties to Russia.
Since the beginning of election campaign, Trumps has been incurring objections from the Republican Party and liberals of the Democratic Party , but the U.S working class and Hillary Clinton’s inability contributed to his victory. However, he will also be in great trouble if fails to win enough supports.
Because the Republicans won both majority of the US House and Senate in the election last year, Trump starves for their supports. Some Cuban exiles, who have strong relationship with the Republican Party, are active in the U.S. politics. Because these Republicans stand against Cuba, Trump now has to choose to sacrifice Cuba and even the U.S.-Cuba relationship, to cater to them.
For the Latin American island, tourism is one of main sources of revenues. The new travel restriction may cause significant economic hardship impact to the country.
In Cuba, most of luxury hotels are run by the military. Because of backward management, unsatisfied services, high price and outdated equipment, they are always blamed. Thus, many hotel management enterprises including the U.S. giants express their willingness to cooperate with Cuban hotels, but the new restriction would slow down their quality improvement .
As a key tourist source, the U.S. travellers would be prohibited from individual education trips to the island, according to the new U.S. policy. Amid the improved bilateral relations, the number of U.S. tourists increased by 70 percent, which brings prosperity to the Cuba’s business as many people start their market stall businesses. Some observers said the new restrictions may throw these business into economic depressions, which would lead to less income for Cuban people.
Chu Yin, Associate professor at University of International Relations, and Deputy director of B&R Institute of Center for China& Globalization.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
