The recent diplomatic stoush between New Zealand and the Cook Islands provided a fascinating glimpse of the possible future of world affairs.
Meanwhile, China can be expected to easily take advantage of new US president Donald Trump’s taste for domestic revenge by further cosying up to other major world players and allies, especially in Europe.
Mark Brown, the prime minister of the Cook Islands, one of New Zealand’s long term Pacific allies, was happy to – at least initially! – ignore the demands of our foreign minister.
Winston Peters called on Brown to reveal exactly what his small island nation was getting from its new co-operation deal with China, including access to seabed mining rights.
One might expect future recipients of China’s largesse to be equally discreet about exactly what they are receiving in return.
Many observers within and outside the US have not been astounded by Trump’s rapid fire assault on his domestic political enemies; their surprise has been instigated by his complete disregard for the impact of his actions on long term, traditional US allies.
However, Trump’s claim to have a historic mandate to do pretty much whatever he wants “may be overwrought,” as Chris Jackson (of polling firm Ipsos) said to the BBC. It could be a tactic being used to “justify the sweeping actions they’re planning to take,” he added.
Since ascending to power, Trump has confounded US allies around the world. We have observed the general chaos his actions have been producing in government departments, many of which have been responsible for, effectively, asserting US ‘soft power’ around the world.
A known devotee of ‘strong leadership,’ Trump has opted to cosy up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. While there is a legitimate argument for re-examining the effectiveness of lengthy US support for the Ukrainian resistance to ‘the former Soviet Union’, there’s no evidence supporting Trump’s assertions that Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is a dictator, nor that Ukraine started the war.
There isn’t any justification for Trump’s plan to cut Ukraine out of direct talks with Russia regarding Ukraine’s future either. Recently defeated German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said the US president labelling Zelenskyy a dictator was simply wrong and it was dangerous to deny him his democratic legitimacy.
It is sometimes overlooked that, while the USA undoubtedly suffered many human and material losses during the Second World War, the mainland US was spared the bombing raids that reduced many European cities to rubble.
Meanwhile, US industry benefited greatly as production was ramped up and diversified.
Those who had largely gone along with a common US desire to portray the nation as a ‘noble city on a hill’ have not been astounded by Trump’s assault on his domestic political enemies. Their surprise has been at his complete disregard for the impact of his actions on long term, traditional US and world allies.
Trump seems oblivious to the fact that, if he succeeds in his stated aim of requiring Europe to contribute more to its own defence, he rMarcisks the continent developing a more independent stance.
That will include European countries being much more receptive to expanding ties with China as a counterbalance to Russia.
