The World Is Contemplating a Second Trump Administration
free trade in the belief that it would liberalize China. But Biden maintained much of his predecessor’s tough policies toward Beijing. Tariffs remained in place.
Restrictions on Chinese technology companies expanded, including a U.S. ban on sales of advanced semiconductors and chip-making equipment to China last year. “On policy substance, even though Trump kicked off the trade war, it was Biden that implemented policy more effectively and was able to bring in important allies that Trump had alienated," said Mary Gallagher, a political-science professor at the University of Michigan.
South Korea and Japan this year turned the page on years of historical quarrels, allowing for deeper military coordination with Washington. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol forged a personal bond with Biden during an official state visit in April to the White House and on a recent trip to Camp David. That contrasts with Trump, who criticized Seoul for not paying enough for the roughly 28,500 U.S.
military personnel stationed in South Korea. Trump even suggested a troop drawdown. Yorizumi Watanabe, a former Japanese diplomat, said he expects support for Trump to rise in Japan if he moves decisively to calm tensions with China.
“When all is said and done, we need a strong American president." In the Middle East, the leaders of Israel and Saudi Arabia are weighing whether their push to establish diplomatic ties have a better shot with Biden in office or Trump. While leaders in both countries have had chilly relations with Biden, they are wrestling with the possibility that the Democratic president might be better positioned than Trump to broker a pact. Trump remains broadly popular with the Israeli public and aligned with Prime Minister
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