The Republican National Convention concluded on July 15 as delegates named Donald Trump as the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nominee. Trump's foreign policy is now under close scrutiny.
Comparing the 2016 party platform with the policy implementation on Trump's watch, there was a high rate of delivery — for example, on immigration, trade and international treaties. Thus, it is advisable to do the same now, based on the current Republican Party platform. Overall, the 2024 platform inherits and carries forward the thrust and style of the previous Trump administration.
The 2024 platform continues the principled position of restoring peace through strength. It stresses the need to defend the most essential American interests — first and foremost, the protection of the American homeland, people and borders, as well as upholding America's values and way of life. Trump believes that to achieve this goal it is necessary to beef up U.S. strength and seek peace through strength. This does not differ from the governing philosophy of President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party. The current administration has also repeatedly emphasized the need to compete from “a position of strength.” However, Trump puts a greater premium on military capacity. He wants to invest in cutting-edge research and advanced technology, including setting up an Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield, and promote overall military modernization.
Second, the 2024 Republican platform emphasizes free and fair trade. This is a continuation of previous policies. Trump believes that fair trade is paramount，and that the U.S. should not be “ripped off.” Trade relations should thus be rebalanced, featuring reciprocal market access and maintaining a balance of trade. To this end, Trump advocates universal tariffs as an important tool, claiming that “Republicans will support baseline tariffs on foreign-made goods,” will pass Trump's Reciprocal Trade Act and will “respond to unfair trade practices.”
Third, this year's platform emphasizes the importance of strengthening alliances but continues to assert the need for reciprocal obligations on the part of allies. It declares that allies must meet their common obligations to invest in common defense. In other words, while the U.S. provides security, allies should bear the costs. This is a position that Trump has consistently advocated. On that ground, U.S. allies may be more worried about Trump's second term than American citizens are. In addition, the new party platform explicitly states that it wants to “restore peace in Europe.”Given the current stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, there is no lack of concern among America's European allies that Trump's return to power would lead to some kind of deal with Russia (in a way that favors Russia) that could pose security risks to Europe and have an impact on the values that Europe upholds.
Fourth, the 2024 platform not only continues the hard-line stance against China but further escalates it. The U.S. would continue “countering China,” and would revoke China's Most Favored Nation status and phase out imports of essential commodities from China.Surprisingly, the current platform does not mention Taiwan. The omission doesn't mean the issue is unimportant, but the 2016 party platform already clearly laid out the main points. Based on the “Relationship with Taiwan Act” and the “Six Guarantees to Taiwan” (but no reference to the three joint communiques), and opposing unilateral changes to the status quo, the Taiwan issue must be resolved peacefully through dialogue. The U.S. would provide Taiwan with defensive weapons and support its participation in international multilateral organizations. It would also assist in the defense of Taiwan if China changes the status quo by force and provides that “if China violates these principles, the United States will assist Taiwan in defending itself in accordance with the Relations with Taiwan Act.” Clearly, it would be naive to assume that Trump might strike a deal with Beijing and give up Taiwan if elected.
Fifth, the biggest change in this year's Republican Party platform is its significantly ideological nature. Trump did not emphasize ideology early in his first term but later made a major shift, elevating ideological disputes to the forefront of U.S.-China competition. The current platform has a stronger ideological undertone, such as declaring that Republicans will use existing federal laws to keep foreign, Christian-hating communists, Marxists and socialists out of America. So there is a need for vigilance to see whether a Trump 2.0 administration would further block people-to-people exchanges with China.
It's true that Trump came to the White House as a political amateur for his first term, when uncertainty and speculation about his policy stances was warranted. But if and when he should return to the helm for a second time, there should be no illusions or uncertainty. The new Republican platform, combined with Trump's words and past behavior, leaves little room to doubt that American foreign policy under Trump would be an updated version of the policy of his first term. In this regard — for friends and foes alike — brace yourselves and buckle up.
