‘America First’ threatens to shatter ‘Grand Alliance’
China is waiting in the wings to woo United States’ allies as Trump ramps up the pressure
President Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear his “America First” policy will dominate the White House agenda. But how will his transactional trade strategy, packaged in the stars and stripes, affect the United States’ allies?
The answer appears to be simple, a mixture of fear and loathing.
Already he has threatened Canada with trade tariffs amid ridiculous claims it should be the 51st US state. Those comments were only topped by his remarks that he would buy the Arctic island of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, for strategic reasons.
Trump might have conveniently forgotten that, like the United States, Denmark and Canada are members of NATO, and they are the good guys. As one headline put it, “Allies or enemies? Trump’s threats against Canada and Greenland put NATO in a tough spot.”
For adversaries such as China, this was manna not from heaven but from Washington.
“[Beijing will be] salivating at the damage they think Trump is going to do to US alliances,” Hal Brands at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington said, the Associated Press reported.
Trump may drift away from US allies … we should grasp the chance.
Wu Xinbo at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies in Shanghai
Flashpoints:
- Another potential issue of concern is how Trump plans to end the war in Ukraine, with the third anniversary looming next month.
- In 2022, Russia launched an illegal invasion of the Eastern European nation in a conflict that has so far killed and injured around 500,000 troops.
- Trump has repeatedly said he would end the war “in 24 hours,” yet he has never provided a clear blueprint.
Delve deeper: China has been a key supplier of dual-purpose technology to beef up the Russian military. Communist Party leader Xi Jinping has also played a major role in propping up President Vladimir Putin’s regime with his “no limits” economic partnership.
Between the lines: Still, with Trump’s hard line on defense spending by allies and trade frictions with Europe, Beijing sees potential cracks in what outgoing President Joe Biden described as a “Grand Alliance.”
Bottom line: “Trump may drift away from US allies, making them pay more attention to China’s role,” Wu Xinbo at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies said.
Big Picture: “In fact, this has provided a chance for China’s diplomacy. I think we should grasp the chance,” Wu added.
China Factor comment: America’s alliance network was forged in the fires of World War II and the claustrophobic chill of the Cold War. Now, it risks being blown away by Hurricane Trump.