Article: Why is the world worried about Trump’s stance?

Author: Harsh V Pant
Now that President Joe Biden has ruled himself out of the election race, Kamala Harris is trying to secure her nomination from the Democratic Party. But the Republican National Convention earlier this month had already confirmed former President Donald Trump’s candidacy for the White House.

made critic his/her running mate
Trump has announced Senator JD Vance as his/her running mate. Vance has been a strong critic of Trump. he/she has even called him/her ‘America’s Hitler’ and ‘moral tragedy’. But this is a thing of the past. After the deadly attack on Trump, Vance directly blamed Biden for it. he/she tweeted, ‘The main thing of Biden’s campaign has been that Trump is a totalitarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. This murderous attack on Trump has happened due to this narrative.’ At the convention too, he/she praised Trump and said that he/she has given everything for the country and that there is no need for him/her to enter politics, the truth is that the country needs him/her.

foreign policy blueprint
Above all, they have presented a Trump-Vance foreign policy blueprint that takes the Republican Party’s attitude towards the outside world far away from the traditional common ground of American politics. This blueprint of Trump and Vance’s foreign policy is creating a stir around the world.

Tough stand on China
The most important aspect of the Trump-Vance foreign policy is a tougher stance on China. Both have repeatedly pointed out, and somewhat correctly, that as a result of Washington’s policies over the last few decades, the US has been flooded with cheap Chinese goods and cheap foreign labour and will not be surprised if it is flooded with deadly Chinese fentanyl in the decades to come.

The trade war continues
During his/her four-year tenure, although Trump kept expressing his/her liking for Chinese leader Xi Jinping from time to time, he/she still succeeded in reframing the US policy towards Beijing. This resulted in a full-fledged technology war and trade war with China, but more importantly, the world realized how costly it can be to let China grow at the expense of others. Trump’s successor Joe Biden also did not distance himself from Trump’s assessment. After initial criticism, he/she not only maintained the customs duty imposed on Chinese goods but also expanded that policy further.

Beijing’s concern
Yet Trump has been relentless in his/her attacks on China. In a recent interview, he/she even said he/she would not hesitate to raise tariffs on Chinese products by 50% to encourage American companies to move out of China and start manufacturing in the US. As Trump appears to be getting closer to his/her goal of re-entering the White House, Beijing’s concerns are becoming more and more evident.

The difference in policies

The differences in the policies of Biden and Trump are also clear. While Biden has stood firmly in support of Taiwan, Trump says that ‘Taiwan should pay us (America) for its defense’. his/her argument is that ‘Taiwan is 9,500 miles away from America, while it is only 68 miles from China.’ This means that it will not be easy for America to protect Taiwan. Meanwhile, Trump’s vice presidential candidate Vance says that if America continues to supply weapons to Ukraine, its ability to support Taiwan in the event of an attack by China may be affected.

Objection over aid to Ukraine: Overall, the meaning of Trump-Vance’s talks is that the Ukraine war needs to end as soon as possible so that America can focus its energy on dealing with the real threat, i.e. China. Vance has been strongly criticizing the US aid to Ukraine. he/she has even said that ‘what happens to Ukraine does not matter to me.’

No free ride exemption
Both Trump and Vance have been targeting Europe for not spending enough on defense. At the conference, Vance said categorically, “No more free rides for countries that cheat the generosity of American taxpayers.” “We are not saying that the United States should get out of NATO or leave Europe, but we should turn to Asia. The United States has to focus more on East Asia,” Vance said.

A warning to the world
This growing trend in American politics of focusing on one’s own interests while ignoring everyone else’s concerns is a warning to the world that considers America to be the main guarantor of global peace. Whether Trump succeeds in re-entering the White House or not, this trend that shapes American politics is sure to have an impact on American policies.

(The author is a professor at King’s College, England)