“If U.S. Turns Inward, China’s Clout will Rise”: Analysts’ Take on Donald Trump’s Inauguration Speech

The Straits Times

22 January 2017

A protectionist United States that is less engaged in East Asia could lead to the growth of Chinese influence in the region, said analysts in response to US President Donald Trump’s inaugural speech.

Mr Trump, in his speech on Friday, made it clear he would pursue a protectionist and isolationist “America first” policy, including on trade, in a bid to bring jobs back to the US.

The White House, in a statement, said the US will withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact, one of the largest in the region that brings together 12 nations.

… A US that is protectionist and distracted by security issues in other parts of the world will “create some impression in the minds of local elites in East Asia that the US is not as reliable as it used to be”, said Associate Professor Li Mingjiang from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

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Last updated on 24/01/2017