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Is Trump really targeting Xi Jinping?

Published: 24 Mar. 2025, 00:02 Updated: 26 Mar. 2025, 20:40

Yoo Sang-chul

The author is the head of China Lab at the JoongAng Ilbo.

The war between Ukraine and Russia, after years of bloodshed and strategic missteps, appears to be inching toward a conclusion. Some observers speculate that this shift has been hastened by pressure by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has reportedly taken a hard line with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The rumor mill has it that Trump is pushing for a swift end to the conflict not out of humanitarian concern, but to reallocate America’s attention — and firepower — toward its true long-term competitor: China. But is that truly the case?

It’s tempting to interpret Trump’s foreign policy through the lens of U.S.-China rivalry. After all, the two countries have been locked in an increasingly tense competition for global influence. Tariffs, tech bans, and diplomatic barbs have defined much of the recent U.S.-China narrative. But when we examine Trump’s actual record — his words, his decisions, and the consequences of his actions — it becomes less clear that he is directly confronting Chinese President Xi Jinping or that he sees the Beijing regime as his primary adversary.

Take, for instance, his approach to U.S.-funded international broadcasters such as Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia. These media outlets have long stood on the front lines of the ideological battle with China, broadcasting in Mandarin and other languages to audiences across the region. They play a dual role: promoting American values while also holding authoritarian regimes accountable through independent reporting. In particular, their work exposing human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has earned global recognition — and Beijing’s ire.

Traditional Russian wooden dolls called Matryoshka depicting China's President Xi Jinping, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump are on sale at a souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Nov. 21, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

Yet, instead of bolstering these efforts, the Trump administration moved to downsize these organizations, citing budgetary concerns and a desire to streamline operations. The decision dealt a serious blow to U.S. soft power in Asia. To China, it was a welcome development. Chinese state-run media responded with thinly veiled celebration. One editorial declared that “VOA’s fingerprints are on every malicious lie about China,” and exulted that “the lie factory is finally being swept into the dustbin of history.” The implication was clear: Washington was voluntarily silencing some of its most potent tools in the battle for hearts and minds.

If Trump were truly committed to a long-term struggle for global dominance against China, would he be so quick to dismantle critical elements of America’s information infrastructure? His signature slogan, “Make America Great Again,” does not necessarily imply the suppression of China. Rather, it appears to be rooted in a more transactional worldview — one that prizes immediate economic benefit over grand strategic objectives. If cooperating with Beijing could deliver tangible gains for the U.S. economy, Trump might well choose partnership over confrontation. Ideological consistency has never been his strong suit; what matters is the deal.

In contrast, his posture on the war in Ukraine is notably more urgent. He has repeatedly signaled a desire to end American involvement as quickly as possible. The prospect of Ukrainian territory falling into Russian hands seems to rank low on his list of concerns. What truly bothers him is the ongoing financial drain: the seemingly endless stream of military aid being funneled into Kyiv. For Trump, this is an unsustainable burden — an investment with no visible return. He views it less as a battle for democracy than as a costly entanglement dragging down American interests.

Instead, he appears more interested in extracting value from the region through alternative means, such as resource agreements or reconstruction contracts. If the U.S. can leverage Ukraine’s mineral wealth to offset the costs of war, that would align neatly with Trump’s business-minded approach to foreign policy. In this worldview, national interest is measured not in terms of alliances or influence, but in profit and loss.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. [AP/YONHAP]

Which is why it may be misguided to interpret Trump’s every move as part of a larger chess match with China. Assigning strategic depth to what may in fact be reactive, deal-driven policymaking risks misunderstanding the essence of Trumpism. His actions are often guided less by long-term vision than by immediate political or economic calculations. While he may occasionally invoke the specter of China to rally support, his actual policies tell a more nuanced — and sometimes contradictory — story.

In short, viewing Trump’s foreign policy purely through the lens of U.S.-China rivalry risks overstating his strategic intentions. What we may be witnessing is not a deliberate realignment against Beijing, but rather a series of ad hoc decisions shaped by the promise of short-term gain.

Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.