As Trump moves to withdraw from international commitments, China is waiting in the wings.
Analysts say that when US President Donald Trump plans to withdraw from various international organizations and agreements, China is using the opportunity to position itself as a global leader and fill the void left by the United States on the world stage.
For the first time since his inauguration on Monday, Trump signed executive orders beginning the process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, as he did in his first term.
The Republican president’s actions call into question the future of global public health responses and climate goals, and leave a leadership vacuum that China could try to fill.
Gregory Chin, associate professor of political economy at York University in Toronto, said: “This creates the potential for China to further strengthen its influence in global multilateral institutions and govern the world.”
Indeed, China seems to be sending those signals.
Chinese message
In what could be considered a strategically timed meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by video just hours after Trump’s inauguration, stressing that this is an enduring alliance.
“I am willing to work with you to take China-Russia relations to new heights by 2025, to respond to foreign skepticism,” Xi told Putin.
The Chinese leader said he wants to “uphold international justice and fairness”.
Similarly, Chinese officials echoed this message at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, underscoring the country’s commitment to combating climate change.
“China has always been a strong supporter of true multilateralism,” Vice Premier Ding Zhuxiang said, adding that the country “resolutely upholds the international order … and firmly upholds the international order based on international law.”
Through “Peace and Security”, Ding said, “China has a better record than the world’s great powers.”
Also, at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s concerns about the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
“Climate change is a common challenge facing all of humanity,” he said. “China’s commitment and action to proactively respond to climate change is consistent.”
During Trump’s first term, the US also withdrew from several international agreements, including the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the UN Human Rights Council.
It seems to continue the same way.
Jia Wang, senior adviser and senior adviser at the China Institute at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, said Trump won the presidential election in November over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. He told CBC News that China could use capital. On the situation.
“China can use this opportunity to make more friends or at least reduce rivals and enemies,” she said.
The cost of growth
As America turns inward and the new president begins the “Golden Age of America” and ends its “decline,” China is asserting itself.
According to York University’s Chin, the Trump administration may be unwittingly weakening America’s position vis-à-vis China.
At least on the climate, China is positioning itself as a green leader. By undertaking initiatives aimed at achieving the goal of carbon neutrality by 2060 – including investing in renewable energy and leading the world in electric vehicles and batteries. Although it is still the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, it is responsible for a third of global emissions.
But this position, although strategic, is coming out of necessity, said Yongjing Zhang, an associate professor of economics and politics at the University of Ottawa.
“China really cares about climate change,” Zhang said, adding that the country is now suffering the “cost” of its rapid growth. “No matter what happens with other countries, China will (fix it).”
Simply put, he has no choice.
World Health Protection
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo also expressed strong support for the World Health Organization following Trump’s announcement, saying China “as always supports the World Health Organization in fulfilling its responsibilities and strengthening international cooperation on public health.”
Trump has accused the United Nations of being biased against China and has criticized its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic — as he did in his first term, when he moved to oust Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, as president following his first term as president, who later reversed his decision.
However, China’s future role in the health sector remains unclear, despite its message. America is far away The agency’s largest grant, It accounts for 18 percent of the total amount. WHO’s most recent budget for 2024-25 was $6.8 billion.
It’s currently unclear how that funding gap will be filled, as experts warn the move could undermine global public health security — and weaken the world’s defenses against future pandemics and infectious diseases.
Being a partner doesn’t mean anything now
What’s happening early in Trump’s presidency is an indication that America’s allies are worried about what Trump’s more confident outlook will mean in his second term.
“You have to throw the terms of friendship and partnership out the window,” says Lynette Ong, a professor of Chinese politics at the University of Toronto. “It doesn’t mean anything now.”
Ong said that while China can prove itself well, it wants to see more evidence that the country has followed through on its promises.
But York University’s Chin said America’s isolation would ultimately mean other countries would face a decision in the alliance.
“It’s choosing to align itself with America going forward or aligning itself with some set of multipolar options,” he said.
According to Chin, these options could include: BRICS countriesChina and Russia are one part.
US President Donald Trump will not impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico or China on his first day in office, according to multiple US reports, giving the country at least one reprieve for now.
“If you’re in the West, you might see this as a threat to the rule-based international order,” he said. But if you’re in the rest of the world, you might say some of these changes are improvements.
Like Trump It threatens countries with higher tariffs. Like China, Canada and Mexico, China Discounts on hundreds of items It is entering the country this month. And regardless of the motivation, Chin suggests that America’s distancing itself could be one of the reasons for other countries to strengthen their ties with the country.