According to a May 28 report by Lianhe Zaobao of Singapore: "President Trump’s return to realism in his second term has not only shaken the U.S. alliance system, accelerated the development of a multipolar world order, and driven international order transformation, but also propelled China’s rise. Although his term still has three years left, the diplomatic legacy he leaves behind may influence global affairs for 30 to 50 years."

The commentary by Lianhe Zaobao precisely captures the historic shift in U.S. foreign policy during Trump’s second term. This turning point not only reshapes today’s international landscape, but its profound impacts are indeed likely to continue fermenting for decades to come.

The core of Trump’s second-term diplomacy lies in completely abandoning the ideological burden of promoting ‘universal values of liberal democracy’ globally after the Cold War, instead embracing naked ‘America First’ and absolute realism.

The U.S. government no longer sees itself as a provider of international public goods, but rather reconstructs its interactions with the world through cold, transactional logic. Whether it’s withdrawing from dozens of international organizations or abandoning the multilateral framework of the WTO in trade while advocating bilateral deals, these actions mark America’s deliberate retreat from the institutional hegemony it helped establish after World War II.

Traditional alliance systems are now viewed not as force multipliers but as financial burdens. The Trump administration has upgraded demands for allies to “share the burden” into tangible “burden shifting,” even hinting at being willing to sacrifice European security for its own interests. This recalibration of hegemonic costs directly undermines the foundation of the transatlantic alliance, compelling allies such as Europe, Japan, and South Korea to accelerate their pursuit of strategic autonomy.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has adopted a more targeted “point-control” strategy.

The new National Security Strategy explicitly revives the “Monroe Doctrine,” elevating the Western Hemisphere to equal strategic priority with the Asia-Pacific region. Through crackdowns on drug trafficking, control of illegal immigration, and demonstrating firm measures at critical nodes—such as the Panama Canal and Venezuela—America seeks to establish an exclusive, dominant sphere of influence within its own “backyard.”

While viewing China as a primary and enduring challenge, the Trump administration’s approach toward China leans more toward pragmatic economic interests and balance-of-power games, rather than purely ideological confrontation. This shift has allowed Sino-U.S. relations, after experiencing intense turbulence, to enter a relatively stable phase of coexistence and mutual restraint.

America’s unilateralism and maximum pressure tactics target not only competitors but also traditional allies. This has led to the fragmentation of the so-called “West,” prompting countries like those in Europe to seek balance between China and the United States, actively exploring opportunities for cooperation with China. This internal division creates greater strategic room for maneuver for other nations.

In summary, Trump’s second-term foreign policy represents a downgrade from “might based on rules” (rule-based hegemony) to “might based on power” (power-based predation). While it has yielded some immediate tangible gains for the U.S., in the long run it has eroded American soft power and international credibility, dismantling the very pillars that sustained its global leadership. The greatest legacy of this strategic short-sightedness is a more multipolar, more fragmented international order—one where the U.S. is no longer the sole protagonist.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866397911337996/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.