After the Cold War, the U.S. interests have shifted towards the rising power of China. During the twenty-first century, China has become the second-largest economy in the world and second-largest trading partner of the U.S. and it plays a major role in creating American jobs and economic growth. However, China’s economic rise can be seen as problematic since one of the main ways China influences other countries is through trade and business ties. Both the United States and China have used varied tools of soft power in order to gain global influence and a lot of these power plays have been acted out in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite the fact that the U.S. economy is closely tied to China, during the Obama administration the United States conducted a strategy to balance out China in the Asia-Pacific region in order to restrict China’s rise to a hegemonic power in the Asian continent. Under the Obama administration the U.S. introduced the Asia Pivot and started to reinforce its presence especially in East Asia and Southeast Asia. The United States tried to bind Southeast Asian economies more tightly to the U.S. with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and made efforts in order to strengthen U.S.—Asia defense cooperation.
However, under the Trump administration the U.S. approach towards China and the Asia-Pacific region has shifted significantly. Before his election President Trump infamously accused China of raping the United States and was quite vocal about China’s unfair trade practices. Trump certainly made it clear that he will not let China overpower the United States. Throughout his campaign and first year of presidency Trump has emphasized the “America First” policy and the importance of supporting the U.S. economy and American jobs. However, Trump’s America First policies and nationalist approach have changed the U.S. role in the global community and increased feeling of uncertainty among the U.S. allies around the world. The U.S. role in the world has been seen as declining even before Trump’s presidency, but it seems more and more clear that under the Trump administration the United States is paying less and less attention to its allies – especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Trump has backed out of the TPP and cut down investments to Southeast Asia substantially.
Even though Trump has been relatively consistent promoting his America First policy, his approach to China and the Asia-Pacific in general has been conflicting. After his meeting with President Xi Jinping it seemed that the two leaders had found some common ground and Trump has openly expressed his admiration of Xi’s leadership style. At the same time, the Trump administration recognized China as a strategic competitor in the National Defense Strategy of 2018 and set up heavy tariffs for Chinese solar panels – an act that led to accusations of starting a trade war with China. Allowing China to gain more economic influence in Asia while complicating the U.S.-China trade might not be the smartest move considering over half a million American jobs are reliant on Chinese imports of toys and clothes alone.
There is a clear shift from American Global Primacy policy to Trump’s America First policy which causes uncertainty in the minds of both U.S. allies and competitors. It seems Trump is trying to ‘’Make America Great Again’’ yet his policies towards China and the Asia-Pacific are actually enabling China’s further rise and damaging the U.S. economy and American jobs.
Sources:
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