Trump’s foreign policy missteps deepen China-Russia ties

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Trump’s foreign policy missteps deepen China-Russia ties

Published: 06 May. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting in Beijing on Feb. 4, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Signs of closer cooperation between China and Russia are emerging at an accelerated pace under U.S. President Donald Trump’s second administration. China announced that President Xi Jinping will embark on an official visit to Russia from May 7 to 10. Amid escalating trade tensions sparked by Trump’s tariff policies, Xi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and publicly demonstrate bilateral alignment in opposition to the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has also been invited by Putin, though Choe Ryong-hae, president of the Supreme People’s Assembly’s standing committee, is reportedly attending in his place. Kim is expected to visit Russia separately in the near future. If North Korean troops who fought in Russia's war against Ukraine appear at the massive military parade scheduled for May 9 in Moscow’s Red Square, the international fallout would be considerable. The event commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II is shaping up to be a vivid display of deepening China-Russia ties and the possible emergence of a North Korea-China-Russia triangle.

These developments reflect a growing flaw in Trump’s foreign strategy. Since returning to office, Trump has pursued a “reverse Kissinger strategy,” aiming to draw Russia away from China in an attempt to isolate Beijing. The approach draws inspiration from the 1970s, when the late U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former President Richard Nixon worked to improve relations with China to drive a wedge between Beijing and Moscow during the Cold War.

Trump’s version, however, has made little headway. More than 100 days into his second term, the war in Ukraine grinds on, and Moscow appears only to have gained greater diplomatic leverage. Far from being isolated, Putin and Xi now seem to be asserting their partnership with greater confidence, as if in defiance of Washington. The recent dismissal of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz may be an admission of the administration’s missteps in foreign policy.

Trump’s erratic remarks and actions on the global stage are also generating political waves among U.S. allies. In Canada, which Trump controversially suggested annexing as the “51st state,” anti-Trump sentiment fueled the surprising comeback of the ruling Liberal Party, which had been on the verge of losing power. A similar pattern emerged in Australia, where the governing Labor Party secured a decisive victory amid growing public discontent over Trump’s leadership.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shake hands during a signing ceremony in Pyongyang on June 19, 2024. [AP/YONHAP]

In Korea, Trump’s foreign policy has raised new concerns over national security and diplomacy. Domestic anxiety is mounting as U.S. discussions about reducing or withdrawing troops from the Korean Peninsula gain attention, alongside calls for “strategic flexibility.” Fears of being sidelined are resurfacing as speculation builds around a possible renewed summit between Trump and Kim.

Though Korea remains politically unsettled following the snap presidential election, it cannot afford to lose sight of these geopolitical shifts. It is crucial for Korean foreign and security officials to monitor the evolving dynamics closely and prepare strategies to respond to growing ties among China, Russia and North Korea. Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy should not become a blind spot in Korea’s national security planning.

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