The Whitehouse has announced that President Donald Trump will be embarking on his very first foreign visit. The focal points of his visit are going to be Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Rome. All of the stops being significant global religious centers.
His aides are describing this visit as part of President Trump’s foreign policy initiative to form a global coalition against intolerance. “Tolerance is a cornerstone for peace,” said the president, while addressing a ceremony held in the Whitehouse to announce his visit.
President Trump’s bold endeavor is indicative of US foreign policy trends turning towards a more external, proactive approach.
His predecessor, President Obama’s first trip to the Middle East in 2009 contrasts to what President Trump has planned for his. Obama visited Saudi Arabia but decided to skip Israel which caused a deterioration of his ties to the state’s Prime Minister.
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Obama’s modus operandi when it came to the Middle East was distinguished by his choice to address the Arab public rather than closed door meetings with the monarchs however, it seems that President Trump prefers to hold private meetings which will likely please the Arab leaders.
President Trump has also chosen to discard the tradition of visiting either Mexico or Canada as the first visit of a newly elected President. The US’s current ties with both of its neighbors are also strained due to the Presidents efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Obama’s vision of America as a player in international politics was that of mediator, a wise counselor, rather than a sheriff whose job was to scare the world into good behavior.
So far, Trump’s foreign policy is a subject of much speculation due to the ambiguity surrounding it. He has entertained many world leaders at the Whitehouse since his election and subsequent changes in his foreign policy alignments can be perceived, case in point; his meeting with the Chinese Premier Xi Jinping resulted in his taking a much softer line on China compared to his stance when he was campaigning as a presidential candidate.
President Trump’s bold endeavor is indicative of US foreign policy trends turning towards a more external, proactive approach. President Obama, in his tenure, had put in considerable efforts to curtail US expansionist inclinations. His vision of America as a player in international politics was that of mediator, a wise counselor, rather than a sheriff whose job was to scare the world into good behavior. President Trump, however, has indicated that he would like to see a change of theme in America’s engagement in international affairs.
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His missile strikes in Syria and the MOAB strike in Afghanistan has already indicated that the current Whitehouse foreign policy will be more extroverted than that of his predecessors.
His choice to visit the two major players in the Middle East in his first ever expedition as the President can be perceived as an effort to establish and clarify American intent in the region.
His missile strikes in Syria and the MOAB strike in Afghanistan has already indicated that the current Whitehouse foreign policy will be more extroverted than that of his predecessors.
Hence, all eyes are currently on his next move. If the current projection of American foreign policy holds, it could cause all major and minor global stakeholders to reconsider their international postures.