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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on becoming president-elect of the United States, and said he hoped they could work together to boost China-U.S. relations so as to better benefit peoples around the world.
Donald Trump has been more practical and flexible in foreign policy, compared to his rival. But since he has not formally outlined his policy on China, it's still unclear how his presidency will affect China-U.S. relations. Let's have a look at what he has said so far.
Trump has said he would impose a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports, to boost domestic consumption. But will making Chinese goods more expensive really boost the U.S. economy?
He has mentioned a possibility of withdrawing the U.S. military from Asia, willingly giving up escalation control. During his campaign, Trump used "China-bashing" to appeal to voters. Now he says he will focus on national revivalism and an isolationist foreign policy stand in hopes of driving a stronger focus on domestic issues.
Trump has also hinted at taking a step back from Japan and South Korea. He's blamed Japan for not spending enough on self-defense and was also quoted saying: "…how long will we go on defending South Korea from North Korea without payment?" This dynamic shift may leave the two countries to become more independent.
