Trump’s speech signals more ‘cajoling and containing’ for China, analyst says
Address underlines changed reality for the US as China’s influence has grown, along with its economic, technological and military might
Compared to his address when he became US president in 2017 and the one by his predecessor Joe Biden four years ago – both of which had a domestic focus – Trump spoke for considerably longer and put more emphasis on foreign policy.
They said the speech also underlined the changed reality for Washington over the past decade as Beijing’s influence has grown, along with its economic, technological and military capabilities.
Trump sought to portray himself as a “peacemaker and unifier” during his half-hour speech and talked more about “hope” and “restoration”, while in his 16-minute speech in 2017, Trump offered a grim view of the country, saying “this American carnage stops right here and stops right now”.
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Donald Trump goes light on China on Day 1, except where the Panama Canal is concerned
Trump’s partisan remarks and a series of executive orders he signed hours after his inauguration – to curb immigration and withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord and World Health Organization – contained mixed messages about his priorities. But the elephant in the room was China.
