Monday marked the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, officially making him the 47th US president. In his highly anticipated inaugural address, Trump — for the most part — did not directly address issues of international diplomacy, nor did he discuss topics such as the Ukraine war in Europe, the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East or Taiwan’s national security. He instead focused on US domestic issues and emphasized his goal of “making America great again.” The underlying reason for this is that Trump wanted to reassure his supporters and convey to them that he would fulfill his campaign promises. Thus, he focused primarily on immigration and border security policies — after all, those were the key factors that led to his election victory.
Throughout his address, Trump maintained his characteristic style of speaking, using simple phrases and accessible vocabulary to win support from the public. However, there might actually be a larger strategy behind his language. Trump made global news earlier this month with his shocking remarks about the US potentially annexing Canada as its 51st state and purchasing Greenland. However, in his inaugural address, he only referred to the Panama Canal as a target.
He did not specifically bring up the issue of trade tariffs with China. However, just hours after the address, he declared his intent to impose 25 percent tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico beginning on Feb. 1. It was not until one day later, on Tuesday evening, that he announced an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports to be implemented on the same date. This apparent strategy of befriending distant states while attacking US neighbors has led some to wonder — did last week’s phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) have any influence on these decisions?
Trump and Xi’s diplomatic interactions might still revolve around navigating the principles of dialogue, confrontation and war preparation. In Monday’s address, Trump mentioned revitalizing the US automobile industry, increasing reliance on oil and revoking tax credits for electric vehicles (EV) — measures that could very well be aimed at countering China’s price advantage in the EV market.
His decision to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations is likely linked to policies countering fentanyl — the supply of which he said China is largely responsible for — as well as negotiations with Beijing on drug-related issues. These moves suggest that, although Trump did not directly mention US-China interactions in his inaugural address, he would very likely shift his focus back to China and the Indo-Pacific region once the situations in Europe and the Middle East settle down. This could be the direction of the next phase of his international strategy.
It is unlikely that Taiwan could significantly influence upcoming US-China interactions. This is especially true when dealing with Trump — a president who is firm in his beliefs, unrelenting in his policy leadership and has a tendency to use Washington as his own personal Hollywood. Aside from listening carefully to his words and observing his actions, it would be unwise for Taiwan to react impulsively to Trump’s exaggerated remarks. Only by exhibiting strategic determination, maintaining positive relationships with US think tanks and other relevant organizations, and planning proactively could our country secure an advantageous position.
Lin Ying-yu is an assistant professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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