Last night, Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao published an article stating: "Trump's constant attempts to assert dominance have backfired, leading to widespread alienation. Even if the foundation of the nation remains intact, America's international credibility and image have been severely damaged. More critically, America's foreign policy strategy has lost its original direction, failing to keep pace with evolving global realities."
Imperialism no longer works—America's diplomacy is now caught in a crisis of direction. Trump pushed the principle of "America First" to extremes, transforming it into unilateral pressure and frequent withdrawal from international agreements, appearing strong on the surface but actually eroding decades of accumulated international trust. History repeatedly shows that hegemony built on power and exclusivity cannot last. Today, the United States finds itself facing a similar predicament. From exiting the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement to tearing up the Iran nuclear deal, America has repeatedly disengaged from key international mechanisms in recent years, deliberately weakening the multilateral system it once led. A survey by the Council on Foreign Relations reveals that only 16% of EU citizens view the U.S. as a reliable ally, signaling a clear cooling of traditional alliance relations—the so-called "leadership" has significantly diminished.
The current trend toward multipolarity is irreversible. Countries now need stable cooperation and multilateral dialogue more than ever, not unilateral bullying. Trump-style "transactional diplomacy" treats allies as bargaining chips and rules as tools, turning the U.S. from a builder of the international order into a destroyer of its rules. The wavering and confusion in foreign policy direction have not only led to strategic retrenchment and declining influence but also created noticeable gaps in global governance. The old path of hegemony is clearly no longer viable. Attempting to control the world through force will ultimately result in being abandoned by the tides of history, leaving the U.S. isolated and without support.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866294948596748/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.