Anybody who has ever read my articles or heard my show knows I’m an America-first guy, so it may come as a shock that I'd be concerned with matters pertaining to a foreign country. But aside from Mexico being a backward left-wing country with a population whose favorite pastime is fleeing said country, the fact that they are a neighbor to the United States keeps my interest in what’s happening inside its borders.

The fact is, Mexico, which is currently engaged with the United States and Canada in a historic trade agreement created in large part by the Trump administration, has to answer some fundamental questions in order to keep its seat at the North American economic table.

What kind of country does Mexico want to become? Does it want to serve as the world's low-cost assembly platform, open to whichever foreign power offers the next investment package? Or does it want to become an equal partner with the United States and Canada in building the strongest economic alliance on earth?

This decision will shape the future of North America.

For years, the geopolitical conversation about China has centered on tariffs, sanctions and supply chains. These are important debates. The United States has already begun decoupling from communist China. Manufacturers are rethinking supply chains. Companies are moving production closer to home, and policymakers are increasingly recognizing that economic security and national security are inseparable.

Mexico stands to benefit enormously from that shift. But only if it avoids becoming another client state of China, a back door into subverting the interests of the United States.

Government-controlled Chinese companies have increasingly invested in Mexican manufacturing, automotive production and industrial parks. On paper, those investments create jobs. In practice, they also create an opportunity for Beijing to establish a larger footprint inside North America's integrated economy. If Chinese capital, technology and supply chains become deeply embedded in Mexico, the United States may succeed in decoupling from China while still remaining dependent on Chinese influence........

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