As Trump moves to withdraw from global commitments, China is waiting in the wings [Video]

As U.S. President Donald Trump announces plans to withdraw from various international organizations and agreements, China is positioning itself as a global leader and capitalizing on the opportunity to fill a void left by the United States on the world stage, analysts say.

On his first day in office after Monday’s inauguration, Trump signed executive orders that started the process of pulling out of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, as he did in his first term.

The moves by the Republican president call into question the future of global public health responses and climate goals, and leave a leadership vacuum that China could try to fill.

“This creates potential for China to further bolster its influence in the multilateral institutions of the world and help govern the world,” said Gregory Chin, associate professor of political economy at York University in Toronto.

Indeed, China appears to be sending those signals already. 

China’s messaging

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