Inside China, there is a nickname for US President Donald Trump that tells you everything you need to know about how his actions are being viewed in Beijing. They call him “Chuan Jianguo,” which translates roughly to “Trump the nation-builder”. It is a mocking title, of course, suggesting that the US president’s foreign and domestic policies are actually doing more to build up China than they are to help the United States.
While Trump insists his “America First” agenda is designed to counter threats from China and Russia, the reality on the ground is proving to be quite different.
Today, we’re going beyond the propaganda to look at how Trump is inadvertently driving the world—including the US’s most traditional allies—straight into the warm embrace of Beijing.