Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.
Trump creates a power vacuum in the world.
During his first week in office, Donald Trump took steps to withdraw the US from two major international commitments: the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization.
Trump’s reasoning on both was, broadly speaking, the same: Like many American conservatives, he sees international obligations as needless constraints on US power and sovereignty. But that may create opportunities for other global powers, not least China.
Dragon in the room? With one of the world’s two largest economies (and polluters) out of Paris, the other, China, has an opportunity to shape global norms in its favor. China emits more greenhouse gasses than anyone but is also a world leader in clean energy technology and financing.
Could China look to boost its influence at the WHO as well? Beijing supplies less than 1% of the organization’s annual budget right now, compared to more than 15% (about $1 billion) from the US. China’s relationship with the WHO has been complicated – Beijing, for example, went to great lengths to stymie the organization’s probe into the origin of COVID-19.
The bigger picture: “America First” will entail scaling back from a range of international commitments. But while Trump may abhorobligations, power abhors a vacuum. As the US withdraws, who will fill the gap? In a GZERO world, can anyone?