Xu Changyin, a researcher at the Xinhua News Agency’s Center for World Studies, said that the “adjustment” of U.S. foreign policy after Trump assumed office can be summed up as “addition and subtraction.” “Subtraction” is less responsibility for international obligations and less investment abroad. “Addition” is exporting more U.S. products, especially U.S. arms.
Internally, the “adjustment” that Trump provided can be summed up as “three minuses and one plus,” reducing immigration, reducing administrative expenses, cutting taxes, and increasing the national defense budget.
Xu Changyin said that it is noteworthy that Trump had in fact made some “adjustments” compared to his aggressive slogan, before taking office. For example, politicians and the media in the United States have strongly discouraged his desire to improve relations with Russia. An important goal of his improving relations with Russia was to contain China.
Not long ago, Trump made the first “National Security Strategy Report.” He explicitly listed China as a “strategic rival” of the United States. However, Xu Changyin believed that there is still room for the expansion of Sino-U.S. co-operation, especially in the economic field. Xu Changyin said that Trump, occupied with his “U.S. priority” mentality, is obsessed with the U.S. trade deficit with China. The possibility of a “trade war” has always existed.
Source: Xinhua, December 30, 2017
http://www.xinhuanet.com/world/2017-12/30/c_129779138.htm