Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a high-level event in the Assembly Hall at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
Joseph Foudy, CNBC: How China's Xi Jinping is filling the 'global leadership vacuum' left by Trump
* Trump administration is embroiled in foreign policy conflicts from Syria to North Korea and is threatening trade wars around the globe.
* China's Xi Xinping is filling the vacuum in global leadership that has been created by the chaos of the Trump administration.
China and the U.S. present a study in contrasts. The U.S. approach to foreign policy at present could best be characterized as shambolic, to put it mildly. In addition to record personnel turnover, the Trump administration appears internally conflicted over whether and how to: leave Syria, tear up the Iran deal, exit NAFTA, confront Russia, disarm North Korea, contain China, and support democracy abroad. At the same time U.S. may or may not be starting several trade wars.
In a rare case of progress, the U.S. recently was able to successfully negotiate a (mostly symbolic) trade deal with South Korea. But then only days later, the President Trump threatened publically to walk away from the agreement. If grand strategy focuses on uniting allies and dividing enemies, disarray in Washington is unfortunately achieving the opposite objectives.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: I do not see this rush to embrace China .... and definitely not in Asia. And those who are aligned with China (in Asia), are more aligned due to aid and loan agreements. In the Middle East .... they all want to sell their energy products to China (no surprises there), and in Africa .... again .... the loan agreements are very appetizing (but I always say beware of the debt trap). As for the Western world .... trade will always be there, but China's adoption of a "leader for life" policy is always a turn-off for democracies, and they will keep their distance. Last but not least .... Russia. As long as China buys Russia's energy resources and weapon systems .... all is good.
