With Trump officially announcing his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, this political contest has once again become the focus of international attention.
While Mr. Trump himself remains mired in legal proceedings and a successful return to the White House remains in doubt, his campaign seems eager to sketch out a blueprint for foreign policy if he wins.
In this blueprint, China, rather than the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, is placed at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy, and the Trump team advocates a tougher policy toward China.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Trump team has come up with a novel perspective.
They observe U.S. military aid to Ukraine and vacillating policy toward Russia, and worry about the ripple effects of the conflict.
The Trump team is concerned that the conflict could prompt China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and other countries to form a so-called "anti-American axis" alliance, which could pose a greater threat to the United States.
However, this concern seems to over-read the current international situation.
As a responsible major country, China has always emphasized an independent foreign policy, preferring to resolve international disputes through dialogue and cooperation rather than participating in any form of "small groups".
Moreover, do the Trump team's concerns about the alliance also reflect some mistaken perception of America's own involvement in the conflict?
Trump himself is very clear about the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He has repeatedly said that if he were president, this conflict would not have happened at all.
However, it would be too hasty to simply contrast Trump's position with the Biden administration's policies and characterize the conflict as "peaceful" by Trump.
As a businessman, Trump's way of thinking is more toward economic gain than war.
In fact, the Sino-US trade war initiated during his administration eventually turned against the United States itself, making "America First" an empty rhetoric, and Trump was criticized by public opinion as "the president with the worst economic performance since World War II".
Yet, despite being out of office for more than three years, Trump is still active in public opinion and seeking to re-enter the White House.
The team behind Trump has focused its attention on China, arguing that China's rise in power is a direct challenge to US hegemony.
To this end, they proposed a strategy of "making full use of political, economic, and military power to contain the Chinese threat."
This strategy is designed to limit China's development through a full range of means to ensure U.S. global dominance.
The Trump team also advocates "decoupling from China", including trade, technology, land, infrastructure, intellectual property, education resources, and other fields.
They argue that by "decoupling" from China in these areas, it can weaken China's economic power and global influence and thus safeguard U.S. interests.
The Trump team's claims are not unfounded.
In recent years, with the rapid development of China's economy and the continuous improvement of its comprehensive national strength, the United States has become increasingly worried about China's rise.
Some US politicians and military figures believe that China's global strategic intentions pose a serious threat to the United States.
To this end, they advocate a strong line to contain China's development.
However, this assertion has also raised some questions and concerns.
First, is the Trump team's claim too rash?
Is it too aggressive for them to start planning how to target China before they have won the election?
In addition, the claims they make share many similarities with the policies of Trump's first administration.
The U.S.-China trade war, launched during the Trump administration, has caused huge economic losses and obstacles to cooperation for both sides.
If Trump is re-elected and continues to pursue similar policies, it will bring greater uncertainty and challenges to the U.S.-China relationship.
Second, will the Trump team's claims be supported by the American public?
In recent years, the American people's pursuit of equitable development has become increasingly strong.
They hope that the government will focus on domestic issues and improve people's livelihood and well-being, instead of investing too much energy in international affairs.
If the Trump team's claims do not command the support of the American public, their policies will be difficult to implement.
Finally, will the Trump team's claims be able to achieve their intended goals?
As a large country with a huge market and abundant resources, the rise of China is inevitable.
The Trump team's attempt to contain China's development through heavy-handed tactics could trigger confrontation and conflict between the two sides, further escalating international tensions.
On the contrary, resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and cooperation is an effective way to maintain international peace and stability.
In summary, the foreign policy blueprint proposed by the Trump team puts China first and advocates a tougher policy toward China. However, there is still a lot of uncertainty about whether this proposition can be implemented.
In future presidential elections, we will be watching closely to see how the Trump team's claims evolve and how the American people react to them.
At the same time, we also hope that China and the United States can resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and cooperation, and jointly safeguard international peace and stability.