But Trump told the Wall Street Journal last month that he didn’t think it was necessary to impose high tariffs because Chinese President Xi Jinping “respects me and knows I’m crazy.” No,” he said.
Of course, as on many other issues, Mr. Trump flipped on Taiwan, suggesting that Taiwan should pay for U.S. protection and emphasizing his “very good relationship” with Mr. Xi.
Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, reflected on the anxiety these promises are currently causing. “If Trump returns, or even if Harris wins and actually continues Trump’s policies, the whole world will pay the price,” he said.
Harris’ boss, President Joe Biden, has kept all of President Trump’s first-term tariffs while adding more of his own.
Like Mr. Biden, the vice president has said, “I want to ensure that the United States, not China, wins in the competition of the 21st century.” She also wants to “de-risk” Washington’s relationship with China. This terminology essentially means that it wants to continue trade with China while restricting certain exports, such as technology that can be used for military purposes.
Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has a special connection because he taught English in China after college, went on to start his own business, and takes high school students there in the summer. . Walz has been a vocal critic of China’s human rights abuses, but some Republicans have some doubts about his historic ties to the country.
The prospects for Trump’s second term are also very worrying for many European countries.
It’s not just his record of questioning basic climate science and telling a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday that “the global warming problem doesn’t exist.” Nor has his previous willingness to abandon decades-old alliances and agreements remained unchanged.
Many people, particularly liberal democratic allies, are concerned about President Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, his repeated praise for dictators such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his political rivals. All of which would set a worrying precedent. Experts in the field say it contributes to democratic principles around the world.
Bill Browder, a prominent anti-Russian activist, author, and financier, said, “Everyone in Europe is genuinely afraid of the violence and danger that could come from President Putin if he had an ally in the White House.” “There is,” he said.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened to abandon NATO, which the small European ally has supported for its entire existence. Even more worrying for them in the short term, he criticized the $175 billion the US gave Ukraine to protect it from Russian aggression, claiming it could end the conflict within 24 hours. , hinted at the possibility of withdrawing aid to Ukraine.
It is unclear how this will happen without significant concessions that both sides currently consider unacceptable. If the United States withdraws more financial aid than any other country in the world, Ukraine’s defenses will almost certainly collapse.
“Putin will be the first European to occupy a foreign country since World War II,” Browder said. “And he’s made it pretty clear that he has no intention of staying in Ukraine.”
If President Trump “abandoned” his NATO allies, “we would go back to the late 1930s and ultimately the United States would be drawn into a world war, whether under President Trump or any other president.” Probably,” he added.
Mr. Trump’s second term will mark a radical awakening from Mr. Biden’s old transatlantic reverie. Starting in 2017, President Trump treated America’s closest European allies with a brusqueness that shocked them (though his campaign to get them to spend more on their own defense , has since been widely welcomed). This time, these European powers, like China, will face a potential trade war. . President Trump has pledged to impose 20% tariffs on all imports, including 100% tariffs on cars that would be especially painful for European car giants such as BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen. It will be done.
