Successes, failure, and future of foreign policy

Donald Trump entered the presidency with little diplomatic foreign policy experience. As a businessman, his experience abroad consisted of negotiations and projects with other developers and investors. His foreign policy plan was simple: work with Russia against ISIS, oppose China’s development in the Pacific and secure America’s borders at home. Thus far, he has succeeded in only the first of those three objectives.

As one of Trump’s first foreign policy hurdles, North Korea has recently increased ballistic and nuclear missile tests to unprecedented levels. Kim Jong Un, the current North Korean dictator, has encouraged the North Korean missile program, which has the ability to launch missiles with a range of 2,500 to 3,500 kilometers. This scope encompasses the entirety of South Korea and can pose a serious threat to Japan. North Korea’s nuclear program, however, is still in its infancy.

Trump has tried to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear program by expanding the U.S. military presence in and around Korea. Recently, a carrier battle group was sent to the Korean peninsula in a show of force. China, North Korea’s closest ally, has tried to restart diplomatic talks and wants to bring a resolution to the fiery rhetoric that has become characteristic of both sides in the conflict. In January, China helped pass a U.N. resolution denouncing the North Korean regime, the first time in the history of the countries’ relations.

Trump has also been scrutinized for his talk on dealing with China. Trump the candidate and Trump the president have taken conflicting positions on China.

During the campaign, Trump promised to label China a currency manipulator, fix the “$500 billion trade deficit” and address the issue of job losses due to outsourcing to countries such as China. Trump recently reversed his position on labeling China a currency manipulator after meeting the Chinese head of state, Xi Jinping. Trump went so far as to praise China for its efforts to rein in “the menace of North Korea,” after North Korea again threatened the US with a “super-mighty preemptive attack.”

In the Middle East, Trump’s campaign policies have remained steady. In Afghanistan, the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, nicknamed the “Mother of All Bombs”, was deployed killing at least three dozen ISIS fighters.

Additionally, Trump authorized missile strikes in Syria following the use of chemical weapons on civilians by the Assad regime. U.S. intelligence agencies determined that the Syrian government, led by Bashar Al-Assad, was responsible for a chemical attack that killed dozens of Syrian civilians. In response, 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from an American cruiser stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. The missiles struck a Syrian airbase from which the chemical attacks were executed. In the aftermath of the missile strike, about half a dozen Syrian soldiers were killed and the airbase’s infrastructure was severely damaged. Russian military personnel, who had troops and aircraft at the base, were notified beforehand and evacuated the location. Russia is considered to be an ally of the Assad regime, and has denied any role in the chemical attack.

Still within his first 100 days in office, Trump seems to be getting his footing on foreign policy initiatives, but only time will tell whether he fully embraces the position of chief diplomat.