What a Trump victory would mean to China, Russia, Iran, and others

It’s no secret that Trump has professed his admiration for strongmen in the past, and many experts wonder how this could affect his foreign policy if he returns to the White House.

Back in July, Al Jazeera reported that US intelligence officials claimed that the Kremlin was hoping for Trump to win on November 5.

Newsweek highlights that in the past, the New York mogul has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him a “genius” and “smart”.

At the same time, Trump has criticized the financial and military aid the United States has provided to the Ukrainian government.

“Every time he comes to our country, he walks away with $60 billion”, Trump stated about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as quoted by EuroNews.

EuroNews highlights that the European Union is concerned that a Republican victory would mean that the United States would cut off money and resources to Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to fend for itself.

China is another superpower looking with expectation at who will the US voters pick on November 6. Unlike Moscow, Beijing is wary of the possibility of Donald Trump’s second term.

According to The Economist, there are three areas the Chinese government is taking into consideration about whose victory would benefit them more: trade, security, and predictability.

During his first time around in the White House, Trump engaged in a trade war with China, raising tariffs and accusing Beijing of intellectual theft and unfair commercial practices.

The Economist highlights that Chinese leader Xi Jinping wants to cement China as an alternative to the American global leadership. Trump favors isolationism, weakening and dividing the West and benefitting Beijing,

Finally, The Economist argues that a Trump victory could translate for China in short-term risks, due to the unpredictability of the New York mogul, but long-term gains as Beijing watches from a distance as America falls into chaos.

A Harris victory, meanwhile, overall would be more predictable but also better organized in fighting off China’s foreign policy.

Then, there's the question about Taiwan. Harris would certainly follow Biden's policy to stand for the island nation, but with Trump, Beijing probably has more wiggle room to work with.

Newsweek writes that opinions are divided in Tehran about what a Trump victory would mean to Iran.

During the Trump Administration, he pulled out Washington from the Iran Nuclear Deal and the US launched a series of airstrikes where General Qassem Soleimani was killed.

There’s also the question if Trump’s support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would translate in bigger and stronger retaliations against Iran.

Though, many experts wonder if things would be radically different with Kamala Harris in the White House.

Finally, there’s North Korea. In 2019, Donald Trump became the first US President to ever set foot on the so-called hermit kingdom.

According to Newsweek, Trump has admitted to “get along great” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, despite nicknames such as ‘Little rocket man’.

Trump in the White House is unlikely to work together with regional allies, such as Japan and South Korea, a chaotic relationship which Pyongyang could benefit from.

Of course, this being Donald Trump we’re talking about, it’s hard to know in what direction things will take, with Trump we expect the unexpected.

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