US Secretary of State Pompeo (picture source: Oriental IC)
US Secretary of State Pompeo delivered a speech at the Detroit Economic Club on the 18th, explaining the US economic recovery strategy. It was also there on August 8th two years ago that Trump, the current President of the United States and the Republican presidential candidate at the time, announced to the outside world the economic policy proposition of safeguarding "America First".
may be a tribute to the president he loyally followed. Pompeo used "economy" as the core throughout his speech, expounding the main goals of U.S. economic diplomacy, including safeguarding U.S. sovereignty on the world economic stage and removing barriers to foreign markets. Opening up to the United States, attracting investment in the United States, making full use of the United States' rich energy resources to surpass competitors, taking a very tough stance on actions that harm the United States, etc., and it is no surprise that China is directed at China. After listening to Pompeo's speech, people couldn't help but feel confused. This is reflected in at least three aspects:
First of all, policy confusion. In September last year, when US President Trump delivered a speech at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, he released a very pragmatic message that the United States is no longer committed to exporting values, but instead emphasizes what the United States can get. This is regarded by the international community as a subversion of traditional American political concepts. Since entering the White House for more than a year, the Trump administration has continuously withdrawn from the multilateral system, trying to use the "one-to-one" negotiation model to seek more practical benefits for the United States. The so-called "democracy", "freedom", "equality", "human rights" and other traditional American values have not become hot words in Trump's mouth.
But in this speech, Pompeo said that economic diplomacy is a core mission of the U.S. State Department, stating that "we use the strength, economic power and influence of the United States as a policy tool to help realize U.S. interests, and Promote our values around the world." "The vitality of the U.S. economy serves as an example... Some of today’s most successful economies have not yet adopted our model, but I believe they will."
Then, here comes the problem: this year’s United States Is the government's diplomatic core pursuing actual profit or continuing to insist on exporting values? Perhaps Pompeo, a traditional Republican, still misses the prestige of the United States as a "world policeman," but Trump has long stopped playing this set. He only focuses on more practical and accessible benefits, not American national image, morality, responsibility, etc. At this point, it seems that Pompeo did not follow Trump. So, who has the final say in American diplomacy? The president or the secretary of state?
Secondly, identity confusion. In the 17 months of Trump’s administration, White House officials have changed like a revolving lantern, but Pompeo was lucky to become the first official in American history to take the top spot in both the intelligence and diplomatic circles. He firmly supported Trump in judging US rivals, the Iran nuclear agreement, and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and maintained the same frequency. Trump made no secret of his love for him, saying that he and Pompeo had a "good chemical reaction, always on the same wavelength."
However, this does not mean that the Secretary of State can act on behalf of the President. . People have noticed that when Pompeo accused "China's actions to harm the United States" in his speech, he used the tone of the US president. I wonder what the genuine President Trump would feel after listening to it?
Third, confusion in responsibilities. In the framework of the functions of the US government, the Secretary of State is in charge of foreign affairs and part of the internal affairs. But this time Pompeo delivered a speech on the theme of "economic diplomacy". The content went far beyond his scope of responsibilities. It involved the U.S. economy, Sino-U.S. economic and trade, tariffs, and free trade. Almost from the perspective of a president, U.S. business The Ministry of Trade, the Office of the Trade Representative, the Ministry of Finance and other institutions have said everything.
In addition, Pompeo accused his competitors of adopting "basic economics of predatory practices" in his speech, and at the same time categorically emphasized the need to help American companies deal with foreign regulatory challenges, leave Russia behind, and surpass China. "Let the U.S. economy, as always, be a beacon to all parts of the world." This kind of self-respect and self-winner style and momentum is like the reappearance of Trump's declaration of "America First" two years ago, and it is unavoidable that he will be acting on his behalf.
Pompeo’s series of abnormal actions in Detroit’s speech are not only a reflection of the organizational chaos and policy chaos within the Trump administration, but also a reflection of the turmoil in the White House, who is known for his “hard work, smart, and obedient”. It seems impossible for Peo to follow Trump.
Pompeo, 54 years old, is more powerful than Trump, 72 years old. As early as in college, Pompeo expressed the idea of politics more than once. In 2011, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives and became a local political star with the support of the Koch family. Compared to Trump, who has no political experience, Pompeo's political experience and political connections are obviously much richer. Most importantly, Pompeo has violently attacked the policies of the Obama administration and displayed a tough hawkish style. He is called "Trump more than Trump". This style has won the favor of populists.
thinks that Pompeo was able to take the post because his predecessor Tillerson was "not obedient". Nowadays, when Trump has replaced people around him and made policies in the White House almost without checks and balances, Pompeo publicly sings against the tone and sets power, and can't help but make the outside world wonder whether he can't stand Trump's arbitrariness. , And can't wait to jump out to get political capital, and even want to fight Trump in the next general election?
Recall that when former Secretary of State Tillerson and former White House chief adviser Bannon and Trump first cooperated, they used to be so close and cooperative, but in the end the two sides had a deep grievance and went separate ways. Perhaps Pompeo is also aware of the need to re-examine the relationship with President Trump. I wonder if the short "honeymoon period" between the US President and the Secretary of State after this speech is over... (Sheng Yuhong, International Sharp Commentator)
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