Will the US and Trump Allow China and Russia To Regain Hegemony?

As Donald Trump seeks to profit around the world by way of tariff wars, he is also exploiting the Russia-Ukraine war to divide up Ukraine’s rare earth and other mineral interests. He also has room to scheme, including aligning with Russia to control and exert international pressure on China. However, flaws have already appeared in these maneuverings, giving the Chinese Communist Party an opportunity to take the advantage. In a firm position to respond to any stick or carrot the U.S. wields, the CCP is looking to cooperate with countries in Eurasia that are dissatisfied with America’s trade and economic strategies. China and Russia might be able to regain hegemony.

From the perspective of U.S. national interests, how can the U.S. allow Russia and China to run rampant before its eyes? Nevertheless, the Trump camp's handling of international affairs is simple and crude, almost arrogant, and focused only on profit. In mediating the Russia-Ukraine war, the U.S. is focused solely on negotiating directly with Vladimir Putin, scorning Ukraine’s sovereignty and its desire to join NATO and the European Union. America has focused even less on Europe’s line of defense against Russia. The U.S. has created an atmosphere that saddens its friends and pleases its enemies, which is not conducive to American control of international affairs. Instead, America's strategy gives Russia a chance to expand and demand more. Perhaps Trump has his own plan, but the current developments are worrying.

China, meanwhile, has been waiting for its chance. The Mainland Affairs Council recently released a report saying that Beijing does not have high hopes for Trump and his team’s policy on China and is preparing for it. Beijing’s breakthrough point lies in the the fact that America's natural allies mistrust Trump. Trump’s tariff war, his desire to annex Canada and Greenland, his withdrawal from important international organizations — all this has caused some degree of misgiving among democratic countries in Eurasia. It has weakened their defenses against China and led them to seek peace with China instead.

China has always sought to profit internationally under the guise of aid. While the Belt and Road Initiative has many representative projects in its portfolio, several countries have repeatedly gotten in over their heads. Now that the U.S. has completely frozen foreign aid, China has even more opportunities for conspiring to defraud countries. China has seized upon rifts between Western allies, continuing to push all types of initiatives and uniting the Global South. Exploiting the mistrust Western countries have of Trump, China has mended and brought their relationships closer. In this way, countries, from strong to weak, will quite possibly join together to contain the U.S.

It appeared that China and Russia's hegemony was strongly contained in recent years. However, at the moment, Trump’s reelection seems to have given them a chance to rise again. Can this really be? We must pay close attention. Taiwan can only adjust according to the situation.