Opinion | Trump humbled in China as Beijing visit underlines the new world order in Asia
Far from highlighting America’s leadership, trip accentuates China’s emergence as alternative pillar of prosperity and stability in world’s most dynamic region, writes Richard Heydarian
Of the stops on Donald Trump’s five-country trip to Asia, the one that stands out is Beijing. After all, China is considered America’s biggest regional rival, and often the object of the president’s non-stop tirades.
All of the other countries on the tour are either treaty allies, namely Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, or a new strategic partner, namely Vietnam.
The visit, which saw Trump failing to secure any major concession from China, underlined the glacial but unmistakable emergence of a truly post-American order in Asia.
Far from highlighting America’s leadership in the region, the visit accentuated China’s emergence as the alternative pillar of prosperity and stability in the world’s most dynamic geopolitical theatre. Trump embarked on his Asia trip to assert American centrality in global affairs, but left Beijing as a humbled leader of a declining superpower.
Since the presidential campaign period, Trump has zeroed in on China with verve and vigour, often portraying the Asian powerhouse as a main threat to American economic well-being and global supremacy.