INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS FINAL ESSAY
Question: 2016 US election: Discuss how the election of Donald Trump has had an impact on US foreign policy with either NATO, China or Russia
Realism, constructivism, and liberalism are international relations’ theory that plays a significant role in the understanding and visualization of occurrences in international political arenas. Every government embraces approaches that are dependent on their political, historical, and economic realities. The United States, for instance, has had a significant shift in the application of their approaches. China and the United States relations have been characterized via deteriorating collaboration, a state of affairs ascribed to the United States’ usage of a realism approach, after Donald Trump’s election, which contrasts severely to the liberal approach used by his predecessors.
During Obama’s reign, the United States significantly embraced a liberal approach to international relations. President Obama took the initiative in mending ties with disgruntled states. He toured Europe, Cairo, and Cuba, among others, to restore ties by reconciling for the past attitudes and actions of the United States. His reign could be likened to the Liberal approach because it relied on interdependence and cooperation (Jackson, 2015). However, after Donald Trump’s election, the United States’ approach shifted to a realism approach to international relations. Realism is an approach where power and conflict are used to secure national interests, as opposed to cooperation and interdependence (Schwartz, 2011). Realism theory is based on four primary assumptions.
The first assumption is that the state the primary and sovereign unit of analysis in international relations, and therefore, institutions like international organizations should only act when there is no immediate security concern. Second, is that the state is a united actor that works in absolute oneness. Third, the country is a rational actor that only makes sound and appropriate decisions for the benefit of the nation. Fourth, national security is the highest in the hierarchy of international issues. Trump’s preference for a realist approach has, therefore, undone Obama’s policies and affected US foreign policy with NATO, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Nonetheless, much of the discussion herein is on the developing US-China relation, as guided by America’s realist approach.
The relationship amid the United States and China after the 2016 relationship has been characterized by distrusts and discrepancies, with each state in a quest to protect its interests. However, the disparities and distrust were after Trump’s inauguration as president and the following enactment of exclusive orders about the foreign policy. As aforementioned, President Trump uses the realism approach in governance, and realism is affixed in the credence that competitive self-interests drive international relations, with the state being the most significant actors (Schwartz, 2011). The United States is a member state of the World Trade Organization, which is a multilateral organization that gives realists the power to gain sovereignty of other nations by employing restrictions on trade policies.
In the case of US-China relations, President Trump considered that the massive trade deficit between the US and China undermined America’s national interest, and this prompted him to pursue an ‘America-First’ policy (Schake, 2020). China’s export into the US was heavily taxed to ensure that US-made product appealed more to the US consumers, relative the Chinese goods. It cannot be denied that America is a superpower, and the use of its dominance in the global economy is seen in the actions of President Trump.
Trump has also been seen to accuse China of having created and let the Coronavirus ravage the world, which again shows an attempt to use power and conflict to push national interests. During this pandemic, Trump has made allegations about the Chinese government concerning the virus to the public without proof. This has not only gone further in dividing the United States and China but also China and other states. The pandemic situation requires international support to enable each country to cope with the situation and hence use global partnership in recovery. However, this would be challenging for the United States as Trump makes even more effort to decouple any relationship elements between the United States and China.
However, realism has its advantages and disadvantages. The United States and China, together with its citizens, are greatly affected by its disadvantages. Following Trump’s foreign policies, China enacted retaliatory foreign policies, increasing taxes for US goods (Pramuk, 2019). Although China has mostly embraced a hybrid of liberalism and constructivism in past decades, it had to forego their approach to retaliate against the United States. China, for instance, has become a rising power over the years, in 2007; however, it passed an eight-point diplomatic philosophy. First, China stated that it would not seek hegemony. Secondly, it will not impose its ideologies on other countries.
Third, China maintained that it would treat all countries respectfully equal. Fourth, China stated that it would keep two policies, one for the state and another for other states. Fifth, China indicated that it would not set its demands and impose on the United Nations. Sixth, in times of international disputes, China will advocate for peaceful negotiations and consultation. Seventh, China is against any proliferation of weapons that are mass destructive. Lastly, the philosophy stated that China respects each civilization and does not link any section of people to terrorism.
Furthermore, over the years, China has shown its support for the United States during its war with Vietnam in late 1978. The two states have had suspicions of each other over issues such as human rights, the balance of trade, nuclear proliferation, and intellectual property rights but have maintained a strong economic partnership. However, the modern realities obligated the government of China to respond to America’s hostile foreign policies, with equally unfriendly policies. Imports and exports of these countries would, therefore, become more expensive to attain, and the business cooperation among Chinese and Americans would become strained. The citizens would be ultimately affected by increased prices of goods imported from China, which would put a strain on the amount of disposable income left for their families.
Furthermore, President Trump also increased visa restrictions on Chinese scholars and students, banned companies from the United States from selling equipment to Huawei (a Chinese company), and labelled China as a currency manipulator. Trump then warns other countries on the use of Huawei equipment in building a 5G network with allegations that it would be used as a tool for spying. Before the tension between the two states, the Chinese-Americans had a feeling of inclusion, and students from both states could state in either country and visit home frequently. However, the strain has reduced academic exchange-programs of both countries and therefore hindered their citizens from comfortably choosing to study in the other country.
More so, the domination of realism theory of international relations bleaks the future of the environment as the government primarily focus on their self-interests and not the general wellbeing of other nations. In 2014, US President Obama and the Chinese President made a joint public announcement on climate change. The two presidents agreed to reduce and eventually curb the emissions of carbon dioxide into the air. This announcement had offered great hope for the ability to reverse climate change effects on the world because the two states were the main world polluters.
Nevertheless, there had been reduced strain when the United States lifted the currency manipulator label on China in January, and both states signed the phase-one trade deal, but the tension between them returned. Recently, the United States announced that it would limit the number of Chine journalists from media outlets in the United States and designate them as foreign missions. In retaliation, the Chinese government announced that it would expel not less than thirteen journalists from three United States newspapers operating in China. The Chinese government also expects the newspaper outlets to report to the government of any of their operations. With Trump’s administration, per the realism theory, the United States creates more enmity with states like China rather than allies. In times of need, the United States would have no country to rely on to come to their aid. After World War 2, most states realized the importance of cooperation. They understood collaboration could be a strategy of creating friendship so that in times of need, they could have support (Murray &Nuttall, 2014). With Trump’s realism, the United States’ citizens may have trouble stabilizing their economy after crises such as the Corona Virus pandemic. It would have been much easier for the citizens and the state, in general, to restore their state if Trump used the liberal theory and created more bridges rather than barriers between the United States and other countries.
In conclusion, every approach to international relations has its pros and cons. The choice of realism in the US has caused substantial tension with China. China has had to impose the approach in its foreign policy to retaliate with those of the United States. The citizens of the two states have been affected adversely by the loss of a sense of inclusion, strain in the economy, and the inability to pursue higher education in either of the countries comfortably. It is, therefore, crucial for both states to consider their position and relationship for the benefit of their citizens. Trump needs to rebuild the trust and partnership that existed between the two nations during Obama’s reign as president and those who preceded him in office. During times of crises like the Corona pandemic, it is better to form international partnerships for mutual benefit rather than a depiction of power through isolation.
References
Jackson, R. H., & Sørensen, G. (2015). Introduction to international relations: Theories and approaches. Oxford: Oxford, Univ. Press.
Murray, R. W., & Nuttall, A. D. (2014). International relations and the Arctic: Understanding policy and governance. Cambria Press.
Pramuk, J. (2019). China is raising tariffs on $60 billion of US goods starting June 1. CNBC. Accessed from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/13/china-is-raising-tariffs-on-60-billion-of-us-goods-starting-june-1.html
Schake, K. (2020). The Damage That ‘America First’ Has Done. The Atlantic. Accessed from https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/america-first-is-making-the-pandemic-worse/608401/
Schwartz, T. A. (2011). Henry Kissinger: Realism, domestic politics, and the struggle against exceptionalism in American foreign policy. Diplomacy & Statecraft, 22(1), 121-141.