Power Vacuum

We are living in a new world order where Trump is actively isolating the USA from the rest of the world and no longer wants to participate in global governance. The problem is that, geopolitically speaking, whenever there is a power vacuum, someone else will step in to fill it. In this case, that someone is China.

China has been fighting for soft power and a greater global presence for years. In the past, the US surpassed China in every major international organization, but now things have changed as the US pulls away from the world stage. Starting with the defunding of USAID, China has stepped up by investing even more heavily in Africa.

Furthermore, as the US has withdrawn from over 60 world organizations, China has stepped up its game to fill the resulting vacuum. While hard power—such as economic and military strength—is important, soft power is equally vital. Its effects might not be visible immediately, but over the long term, it builds the trust necessary to tilt the global balance of power.

We can already see how China is increasingly viewed as a more reliable trading and political partner. Meanwhile, parts of the world are moving away from the US, choosing to buy gold and silver instead of US stocks. Even NATO has begun cutting off intelligence sharing with the US. Currently, the USA appears to have fewer allies, standing increasingly isolated on the other side of the world.

America is a strong nation, but there is always room for more friends on the battlefield. The US cannot single-handedly take on the entire world; soft power is just as crucial as military might. As China continues to expand its global influence, the US will find diplomacy much more difficult in the long run.

Ultimately, China is substituting the USA in many ways. By giving up our global standing in return for nothing, we are allowing China to fill the power vacuum and potentially become the new world leader.