WCA January 2019

From the Americas

When asked which would be better for the world, having China or the USA as the top global power, people in nearly every country tended to select the USA. This was particularly common among some of China’s Asia-Pacific neighbours, such as Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Australia.  Even though America’s image has declined since Mr Trump’s election, Pew reported that on balance the USA still receives positive marks. Across the 25 nations polled, a median of 50 per cent have a favourable opinion of the USA, while 43 per cent gave it an unfavourable rating. However, a median of only 27 per cent said they have confidence in President Trump to do the right thing in world affairs. Some 70 per cent expressed a lack of confidence in him. Economics WTO chief warns that the USA-China trade war puts millions of jobs at risk and portends severe damage to the global economy The USA has introduced tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese exports. Beijing retaliated with import duties on American products worth $110 billion, whereupon the US president threatened to impose tariffs on all Chinese exports. The Times of London reported that Roberto Azevêdo, director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), perceives no end in sight to the trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies. The Times ’s trade correspondent Callum Jones noted Mr Azevêdo’s warning that the dispute could shatter supply chains and communities. In Mr Azevêdo’s estimate, a complete breakdown in relations would knock 17 per cent off global trade growth and 1.9 per cent off world economic growth. (“US-China Dispute Will Damage Global Growth, Says WTO Chief,” 18 th October) “The question is not whether the trade war scenario would have a negative impact, it is how horrible the effects are going to be,” Mr Azevêdo told the inaugural international trade banquet held in the City of London on 17 th October. In his view, these effects would cause significant disruptions for workers, firms and communities as they adjust to this new reality. Potentially, he said, millions of workers would need to find new jobs; firms would be looking for new products and markets; and communities would need to find new sources of growth. The Times ’s Mr Jones pointed out that the 160-member WTO, established in 1995 as a hub for global trade negotiations and disputes, is under acute pressure following Mr Trump’s threat to withdraw the USA if the WTO does not “shape up.” Mr Jones also recalled that the appellate body of the WTO, in essence the supreme court of global trade, is on the brink of collapse after a sustained American campaign.

The USA and China A poll of 26,000 people in 25 countries finds most still want the USA as top global power, but see China on the rise “America’s global image plummeted following the election of President Donald Trump, amid widespread opposition to his administration’s policies and a widely shared lack of confidence in his leadership.” This was the early conclusion of Washington-based Pew Research Centre , a non-partisan think tank that conducts public opinion polling but does not take policy positions. As the second anniversary of Mr Trump’s election was approaching, Pew published the results of a new 25-nation survey which found that the president’s international prestige remained low, and that ratings for the USA itself were much lower than during Barack Obama’s presidency. (“Trump’s International Ratings Remain Low, Especially Among Key Allies,” 1 st October) Summarised here are a few of the major findings from the survey conducted among 26,112 respondents in 25 countries from 20 th May to 12 th August 2018. Pew also made use of data from its survey of 1,500 US adults conducted from 14 th May to 15 th June 2018.  Frustrations with the USA in the Trump era are particularly common among some of America’s closest allies and partners. In Germany, where just 10 per cent have confidence in Mr Trump, the share of the public believing that the USA respects personal freedoms is down 35 percentage points since 2008. In France, only nine per cent have confidence in Mr Trump.  Critical views are also widespread among America’s closest neighbours. Only 25 per cent of Canadians rate Mr Trump positively, and more than 63 per cent say the USA is doing less than in the past to address global problems. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s lowest ratings in the survey were found in Mexico, where just six per cent express confidence in his leadership.  People around the world are divided about the direction of American power. A median of 31 per cent said the USA plays a more important role in the world today than it did ten years ago; 25 per cent say it plays a less important role; and 35 per cent believe the USA is as important as it was a decade ago. But there are signs that American “soft power” is waning, including the fact that, while the USA maintains its reputation for respecting individual liberty, fewer believe this than a decade ago.  In contrast, views about Chinese power are clear. A median of 70 per cent told Pew that China’s role on the world stage has grown over the past ten years. Still, by a slim margin, more people named the USA as the world’s leading economic power (39 per cent vs 34 per cent naming China). And, Pew noted, “Despite the unease many feel about the US at the moment, the idea of a US-led world order is still attractive to most.”

BigStockPhoto.com Photographer: Aispl

41

www.read-wca.com

Wire & Cable ASIA – January/February 2019