Let’s hope new US president ends conflicts as promised

Chen Weihua, China Daily

Donald Trump’s election victory on Wednesday has raised concerns. During the election campaign he proposed to an extra 10 percent tariffs on all US imports and a 60 percent tariffs on Chinese goods.

Given the highly interconnected global supply chains, a tariff war against one economy today means a tariff war against many countries, not to mention that a tariff or trade war launched by the US ends up harming the US economy and consumers. Studies show that tariff wars have been and will continue to be disastrous for US workers, consumers and businesses.

Win-win cooperation, especially between the world’s two largest economies, has always benefited not just the people of the two countries but also the world as a whole.

One major concern is what kind of people the president-elect will choose for his new cabinet. On Tuesday, Ron Paul, a former Republican congressman from Texas, warned of the danger of “neocons yet again infesting” the new US administration — people like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. His message on X was applauded by Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who responded by saying “I agree that we should not empower neocon warmongers”.

The world has become a more dangerous place today because of the Biden administration’s obsession with playing zero-sum games, especially in its dealings with China, and focusing its energy on measures to contain China and divide the world into confrontational political blocs.

The US’ sordid role in the Asia-Pacific includes stoking tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. It has also prolonged the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts, by adding fuel to the fire to fulfill its own narrow geopolitical goals.

Many experts, including Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, have warned that the existing US foreign policy is pushing the world toward a new Cold War, a potential third world war, and even a nuclear war that could annihilate the entire human race.

While many people are skeptical about the promises the US president-elect made during his presidential campaign as well as on Wednesday, particularly his pledge to “stop wars”, such promises are needed more than many other things in today’s world.

Despite being politically incorrect in Washington, Trump has repeatedly said that it is a great thing to get along with China, Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

As a journalist who covered the first summit between Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore in 2018, I was impressed by his efforts to make a rapprochement with the DPRK, because that’s another important thing the world needs today.

It’s way too early to tell what Trump administration 2.0 will look like. But I hope he makes good on his promise to end the conflicts in Eurasia and the Middle East, restore lasting peace in the Middle East, and improve relations with China, Russia and the DPRK, thus stopping the downward spiral toward a new Cold War, even third world war.

The world should never see a new Cold War, let alone another world war.