The Optimist’s Guide to Airlines, Crypto Mining and Gold

Oversees tourists at NYSE

“Travel,” Mahatma Gandhi once said, “is the language of peace.”

If that’s the case—and I happen to believe that it is—then I’m extremely bullish about the future, especially with respect to U.S.-China relations. This week I was in Lower Manhattan, and the number of Chinese tourists I observed visiting the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Federal Hall National Memorial—the epicenter of American capitalism and birthplace of the U.S. government—was encouraging. Everyone wanted their picture taken with the statue of George Washington, the father of the country with which their own government has been locked in a trade war for more than 18 months now.

The trade war’s days may be numbered, however. It’s being reported that both sides of the skirmish reached a partial agreement today, laying the groundwork for Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to sign a trade deal later this year.

Despite short-term headwinds, Chinese tourism to the U.S. is expected to continue rising
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Tourism has traditionally helped peace and understanding spread across borders, and I’m hopeful that it will do the same today. It’s also good for commerce, especially for airlines and the travel industry in general, as I told CNBC Asia on Thursday.