Trump’s ‘America First’ Policies Are Diminishing U.S. Global Influence
- These US withdrawals are creating a vacuum that China is actively filling, expanding its influence and media reach in various countries.
- Recent polls indicate a decline in global perceptions of the US, while views of China have slightly improved in many surveyed countries, with some seeing China as the world's top economy.
As U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited the trade war with China, he is gutting federal government funding for foreign aid agencies and media outlets, in a move touted as an ‘America first’ approach by his Administration and slammed by Democrats and critics as damaging the U.S. soft power on the global stage.
Following decades of efforts to build partnerships and influence, including with the promotion of democratic and free-economy values, the U.S. is now retreating, leaving a void that China would be happy to fill.
The Trump Administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID). More than 80% of USAID programs were scrapped early this year, while the rest was formally absorbed by the State Department in early July.
The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) was also dismantled, leaving only Chinese state media broadcasts in many Asian countries such as Indonesia, the biggest economy in Southeast Asia.
The departure of Voice of America (VOA) from Indonesia and other countries including Thailand and Nigeria has led to Chinese state media expanding its reach in these countries, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The Trump Administration has gutted or shut down government-funded programs, citing “wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by the federal government.”
The withdrawal from the global stage is giving China another weapon to yield soft power and compete with the United States for global influence by the superpowers, critics of the Trump Administration’s moves say. They also criticize the defunding of many scientific and research programs and the withdrawal of the U.S. from global institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Commenting on America’s withdrawal from global agencies and institution, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement carried by Axios,
“President Trump and Secretary Rubio have made America respected again while ensuring that all actions align with the America First agenda that people voted for.”
Yet, U.S.-based Pew Research Center published a new poll this week, showing that views of the U.S. have worsened while opinions of China have improved in many of the 24 countries surveyed this spring.
In many of these countries, views of the U.S. have turned significantly more negative over the past year, while views of China have turned slightly more positive.
People in Israel and countries in Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and India, are more likely to see the U.S. favorably compared to China.
But in the top U.S. trade partners, Canada and Mexico, the sentiment has shifted negatively for America in recent months, largely due to President Trump’s trade policies.
Moreover, a median of 41% of adults across the countries surveyed see China as the world’s top economy, while a slightly lower share, 39% median, say that of the U.S.
“This is a marked departure from two years ago, when considerably more people saw the U.S. than China as the world’s leading economy,” Pew Research Center said.
Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee published a report this week, slamming President Trump’s withdrawal from global institutions and agencies as inflicting damage to America’s image while offering “no viable alternative for the United States to counter Chinese propaganda.”
“While President Trump retreats from every corner of the world—attacking allies, slashing America’s diplomatic tools and embracing adversaries—China is building influence, expanding relationships and reshaping the global order to its advantage,” Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement.
Meanwhile, President Trump has notably shifted his aggressive rhetoric against China, in an effort to secure a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and a trade deal, people with knowledge of internal discussions told Bloomberg this week.
President Trump is likely to seek deals for purchase of American goods by China, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
Referring to China, President Trump said in Pittsburgh this week that “we will be fighting them in a very friendly fashion.”
A trade deal with China could alleviate some of the oil market’s concerns about the global economy and global oil demand in the near to medium term.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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