Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is prepared to put a number of issues on the table if incoming U.S. President Donald Trump wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico. Among the issues Nieto is prepared to put on the table are border security between the two countries, a greater fight against illicit drugs entering the United States, and trying to work together to stop the flow of migrants into the United States. Incoming President Trump had vowed during the presidential campaign to renegotiate NAFTA into America’s favor, and also to build a border wall with Mexico and force Mexico to pay for it. These are things that Mexico is trying to avoid so that relations between the two countries will not be jeopardized.

There is one other card that President Pena Nieto may play—negotiating with China for a better trade deal and also a treaty of friendship with China. These things are not in America’s interests. If the U.S. government under Trump is too hard on Mexico, it could force Mexico’s hand and make it turn more towards China. The frightening thing is that we could see Chinese soldiers along the U.S.-Mexico border and a possible Chinese business and military build-up that will threaten the very heartland of the United States. I am very sure that President Pena Nieto will use this as a possible threat should relations between the United States and Mexico take a turn for the worse. I can only hope that this will not even remotely happen. It may be meant as a bluff, but it is a bluff that I hope is never called. There is too much at stake for both countries to engage in negative rhetoric and name-calling now. Whatever is done, I can only hope that cooler heads will prevail in the beginning of the New Year. I cannot even begin to emphasize how important that America preserves its relationship with Mexico, and indeed with all its neighbors.