The Impact of U.S. President Trump on U.S.-China Relations

The relevance of the article is due to the policy of D. Trump, who, during his first and second terms as president of the United States, established priorities on economic issues that often contradict the national interests of China, which is the third-largest trading partner of the United States. Despite this, Trump has increased pressure on China to curb the growth of its power on the world stage. This has an impact not only on the growing tension between them, but also on the entire system of international relations, which currently looks like an “unequal strategic triangle”: at one of the peaks are supporters of multipolarity in international relations, led by China and Russia; on another – adherents of monopolarity, led by the USA; states adhering to neutrality are located on the third peak. In this triangle, Washington's influence on international affairs is unstable, as the alliances it leads combine elements of competition with the United States and cooperation with China. In the future, deterioration in relations might be avoided if Trump abandons his anti-China strategy, but the chances are slim, since his international acts, signed at the beginning of his second term, indicate that his carrot-and-stick policy will continue not only towards China, but also toward others actors in international relations. This is confirmed by the analysis of Trump's policy toward China and other countries in his first and second terms, as well as by the reaction of the Chinese authorities to this policy.

USA, China, relations, sanctions, conflict