The White House released the U.S. National Security Strategy Report late on the 4th, focusing on America's "core national interests," emphasizing the priority of the Western Hemisphere, sharply criticizing Europe, downplaying the threat of terrorism, and striving to maintain high-intensity but controllable great power competition in the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to achieve a re-balance between foreign commitments and internal capabilities.
What new strategies does this 33-page report propose? How is the U.S. global military presence being adjusted? What does it reflect about the Trump administration's security perspective and worldview?
Advocating for the "Right to Intervene" in Latin America
In 1823, President Monroe of the United States proposed the "Monroe Doctrine," warning European powers not to interfere in American affairs. The new version of the U.S. National Security Strategy Report first introduced the "Trumpian Interpretation" of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the United States will "assert and implement the 'Trumpian Interpretation' as a new version of the Monroe Doctrine," to establish America's preeminent position in the Western Hemisphere.
The report describes the Western Hemisphere as the "frontline" for America's border security, critical supply chains, and geopolitical competition. The objectives of the "Trumpian Interpretation" include: preventing and containing large-scale migration waves; using "lethal force when necessary" against drug cartels; preventing "foreign hostile forces" from controlling key assets in the Western Hemisphere; "ensuring the United States continues to have access to key strategic locations"; strengthening military deployments in Latin America; establishing or expanding channels in strategically significant locations; and linking aid and trade with relations with Latin American countries.
Analysts believe that this will prompt the United States to invest more resources in the Western Hemisphere in areas such as intelligence, military, law enforcement, and economic strategy, effectively declaring the United States' right to intervene in Latin America in an arrogant manner. Although the report states that the United States "favors non-interventionism," the Trump administration has clearly increased economic pressure and political intervention toward Latin American countries over the past year.
Given the current tense situation between the U.S. and Venezuela, experts from the Atlantic Council, a U.S. think tank, believe the report conveys two signals: the largest military deployment in the Caribbean Sea in over 30 years is not a temporary phenomenon; the ultimate goal of the U.S. in Venezuela is to overthrow the Maduro government and install a pro-American regime.
Adjusting Global Military Presence
While emphasizing the priority of the Western Hemisphere, the report states that it will accordingly "re-adjust the U.S. global military presence," reducing military resources allocated to "regions of relatively declining importance to U.S. national security."
The report does not specifically name which regions have relatively declining importance, but experts interpret that, according to the report, the priority of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in U.S. foreign and security policies has declined.
From the content of the report, the Trump administration's adjustment of the global military presence mainly follows the following ideas.
First, seeking to reduce the global security burden. One, emphasizing that allies and partners must stop "free-riding" and take primary responsibility for defense in their respective regions. Two, emphasizing that the U.S. should avoid getting involved in costly "permanent wars" and prevent regional conflicts from escalating into continental and global wars. Three, generally downplaying the threat of terrorism.
Second, seeking to "rebuild strategic stability with Russia." The report states that the core interest of the U.S. is to quickly end the Ukraine crisis, accuses Europe of hindering the U.S.'s efforts to end the crisis, and says the U.S. will prevent NATO from continuing to expand, and questions the reliability of future transatlantic alliance relationships.
Third, promoting the U.S. re-industrialization, "rebuilding the defense industry base." The report considers economic security as the foundation of national security, pointing out that the U.S. not only needs to dominate in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and supercomputing, but also needs a strong defense industry and manufacturing base. The report calls for expanding the U.S.'s access to global key minerals, emphasizing the need to avoid being dependent on others in key supply chains and technological aspects; it urges strengthening the U.S.'s "energy dominance" and "financial dominance," maintaining long-term advantages in the U.S. economy, industrial base, and technological innovation capabilities.
The report states, "The era in which the Middle East dominated U.S. foreign policy planning and daily implementation has ended." However, Jon Hoffman, a researcher at the Cato Institute, a U.S. think tank, believes that the U.S. remains deeply involved in Middle Eastern affairs, and "whether Trump has the political will to fundamentally change the direction of Middle Eastern policy remains to be seen." Emily Harding, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, pointed out that previous U.S. administrations have all hoped to shift diplomatic focus, but the Middle East issue "always finds a way to bring the U.S. back."
Anti-immigration, Anti-globalization Vision
The report reflects that the Trump administration's vision of the global order is based on the principle of "America First." Its prominent features include: anti-immigration, anti-globalization, promoting Western identity, rejecting the concept of "climate change," downplaying cross-border cooperation issues, and accusing some international organizations of being driven by "anti-Americanism" and "transnationalism." In this vision, the U.S. no longer sees itself as the main supplier of the multilateral order, but rather selectively participates according to its own interests.
The report has a strong anti-immigration tone, attributing many of the current difficulties faced by the U.S., Europe, and the world to immigration issues, claiming that large-scale immigration changes the culture and economy of traditional global powers, weakening their dominant positions. The report claims that it cannot allow the opening of the U.S. labor market under the guise of "seeking global talent," which would harm the interests of American workers.
The report's wording towards Europe is highly confrontational, echoing Vice President Pence's speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, warning that Europe faces a "serious prospect of civilization decline" due to factors such as immigration policies, economic stagnation, regulation by transnational institutions like the EU, declining birth rates, and loss of confidence, while the U.S. aims to "help Europe correct its current development trajectory" and "cultivate resistance to (the current development trajectory) within European countries."
Natalie Tocci, director of the Institute for International Affairs in Italy, commented that this indicates the Trump administration's willingness to prioritize developing relations with Russia, while Europe is left "isolated" in the Ukraine crisis and European continent security issues.
Rick Landgraf, editor of the "War on the Rocks" website, believes that the report shows that the U.S. now views its own security in a more inward and narrow way than ever before.
But it is worth noting that while the report opposes the U.S. "carrying the world order alone," it repeatedly states that "the U.S. cannot allow any country to become too powerful to threaten U.S. interests," and "we must also prevent other countries from achieving global or regional dominance." The logic of power is evident in the report. The report not only continues the slogan of "peace through strength," but also bluntly states: "Great, wealthy, and strong nations have huge influence, which is an eternal truth in international relations."
The journal "Foreign Policy" published an article stating that the report "aims to impose the president's worldview on the world selectively." The "Economist" magazine's commentary said that the report "has become naked power display."
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Original: toutiao.com/article/7581065737301852735/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.