Sino-US relations in the Trump era

The election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States naturally has many observers nervous about the policy consequences. Here in the US, the reactions of many of Trump's political opponents were apoplectic at first; overseas, many are reacting to these domestic responses, and drawing dire conclusions.

The lack of deep policy debate during this presidential campaign has left many to try to weave policy interpretations together from terse sound bytes and random responses to the twists and turns of campaign politics. Therefore, it is wise to look to fundamentals rather than emotional outbursts.

Beyond questions of campaign tactics and the tone of this election, it can be said fairly that the election of Trump turned on at least several important public perceptions: Stagnation of American incomes and opportunity, perceived as coming from the unfair effects of globalization and incorrect domestic policy preferences; overextension of US military power on peripheral threats and weakness at the core; and inattention to the US' domestic economy and infrastructure.