Asia is bracing for Donald Trump’s return to the White House, after he threatened on the campaign trail to inflict sweeping tariffs on China and questioned Washington’s security commitments to Taiwan and US allies South Korea and Japan.
The Republican former president has proposed blanket tariffs of more than 60 per cent on all Chinese imports and ending the country’s most favoured nation trading status, moves that would hit China’s faltering economy and send shockwaves through global supply chains.
Trump’s first term in office sparked an unprecedented US-China trade war, spurring a rush to shift supply chains to south-east Asia, India and other parts of the region. His unorthodox approach to regional security also raised concerns among US allies in Asia over Washington’s defence guarantees, leading to a sharp increase in arms spending.