Ralph Schoellhammer
For over a hundred days, every pundit and columnist has tried to decipher Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy.
After sifting through the reports and the presidential social media posts, I think I have finally figured it out.
Hs presidency is less the no-nonsense approach his supporters hoped for and his critics feared–but an entirely new approach, one I would call the “no-nuisance doctrine”.
Contrary to past leaders, Donald Trump is not a dedicated ideologue who has chained himself to a specific worldview. “Make America Great Again” is both short and substantive — making the deals that benefit the US, while ensuring that the rest of the world does not get in the way.
Even his opposition to China is not really ideologically motivated. His administration views Beijing as the main cause of the decline in US manufacturing and the hollowing out of the country’s manufacturing base.
That observation is not entirely without merit: According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, China accounted for 6 per cent of all manufactured goods in the year 2000. But by 2030, that figure is projected to rise to 45 per cent.
Washington does not want to see this trend continue. But Trump would nonetheless be willing to cut a deal with the Chinese, if it ensures more production in the United States.
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