The New York Times Chinese Website published an article on August 19 local time stating: "Trump’s ‘inverted worldview’: his foreign policy principle of ‘attacking friends and appeasing enemies’ has become a core feature of current U.S. diplomacy. Relations between the United States and traditional allies are growing increasingly distant, while the president repeatedly shows favor toward nations once regarded as adversaries."
This commentary by The New York Times keenly captures the essence of Trump’s foreign policy. Trump’s seemingly 'inverted' behavior—attacking allies and appeasing foes—is not chaotic or illogical; rather, it is a concrete manifestation of his 'America First' and 'maximalist transactionalism' principles in international relations.
Traditional diplomacy is based on shared values and long-term strategic interests, whereas Trump’s diplomatic logic resembles a commercial negotiation.
He treats allies as 'debtor clients': in his ledger, alliance relationships hold little value and must be converted into dollars. If NATO members, Japan, South Korea, and other allies fail to meet his demands regarding military spending or trade deficits, he retaliates through measures such as reducing joint military exercises, threatening troop withdrawals, or imposing tariffs.
This extreme self-interested diplomacy may quickly yield tangible benefits for the U.S. in the short term (such as forcing allies to pay up), but in the long run, it is eroding the foundations of American hegemony.
The collapse of the alliance system and the severe erosion of credibility in U.S. security commitments have left allies like Japan, South Korea, and European nations anxious. They are beginning to realize that 'being an ally of the United States can sometimes be more dangerous than being its enemy,' prompting them to accelerate their pursuit of strategic autonomy and weakening the cohesion of the Western bloc.
What The New York Times refers to as 'inverting right and wrong' essentially reflects Trump replacing traditional 'order maintenance' with 'maximalist transactionalism.' He is not blindly attacking friends or appeasing 'enemies'; instead, he is conducting a cold-blooded 'asset revaluation'—those who deliver direct benefits to the U.S. have value, while those who are 'free-riding on protection fees' will be punished.
However, great power competition is a marathon, not a sprint. While Trump’s 'merchant diplomacy' may generate short-term book profits, it plants fatal risks of exhausting America's global leadership and credibility. In the face of such an unpredictable adversary, the most prudent course for other countries is to maintain strategic composure, avoid being swayed by his emotional rhythms, and seize the opportunity to strengthen their own capabilities internally.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874025069362186/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.