The issue of Sino-American relations under to-be Trump administration has been occupied a center stage in debates after his win in US presidential elections. The recent provocations by Trump against China in recent days has raised concerns over the future of relations between the two superpowers.
In an interview to Mehr News, Professor Nader Entessar told Vahid Pourtajrischi that Trump was aware of the importance of China to US economy and that he would not want to adopt policies which would lead to a full-blown US-China war on trade.
Donald J. Trump has recently made a phone call to Tsai-Ing-wen, president of Taiwan. This is the first call of the US leadership to Taiwan after 37 years. What is the reason behind it?
Part of the reason is Trump's inexperience with diplomatic protocol, and part of the reason is Trump's desire to do things his own way. He will eventually have to learn that being the President of the United States is different from being a businessman. If he chooses to ignore this fundamental principle of governance, he will run into numerous obstacles in being an effective leader.
Given the economic dependency of the US on China, what is the right approach of Washington toward Beijing?
It is true that the US economy is heavily tied to that of China, but it is also true that the Chinese economy is even more dependent on the US economy than ever before. So, neither side can afford a trade war. Trump may not want to acknowledge this publicly, but I believe he is aware of the importance of China to US economy and would not want to adopt policies that would lead to a full-blown US-China trade war.
Some analysts believe that Trump had a contact to Taiwan while he was not the official president of the US; therefore, he is after exerting pressure on China. Would Trump continue such a conduct even after swearing in as president?
Trump's unpredictability makes it very difficult to assess what his foreign policy towards china will look like. He has even stated that his administration is not bound by the "One China policy" that has been the bedrock of US-Chinese relations since the two countries established diplomatic relations with each other. If Trump changes the one China policy, the foundational principle of US policy towards China will change. Undoubtedly, Beijing's reaction to this will be swift and detrimental to US interests in East Asia and elsewhere.
Rex Tillerson - a figure who has a warm relationship with Russia- has finally been nominated as the Secretary of State position. How would his nomination affect the US- Russia relationship on the one hand and the US- EU relationship on the other?
We have to remember that Rex Tillerson's relationship with Russia was established in his capacity as the head of ExxonMobile and when Mr. Tillerson was a private citizen. As the Secretary of State, Tillerson will have to act differently than he did as the head of a major private corporation. We have many examples of top business and corporate officials who became high-level government officials and created a new persona for themselves. Mr. Tillerson will have to function differently from the way he operated as a private citizen.
Nader Entessar is professor of international relations and chairperson of Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of South Alabama.
Interview by: Vahid Pourtajrischi