Washington, Jan 1 (EFE).- The United States on Sunday welcomed the New Year and the new era of Donald Trump, the brash billionaire who mobilized the working class with a populist message and who is preparing to shake the foundations of Washington’s international relations.
“TO ALL AMERICANS- #HappyNewYear & many blessings to you all! Looking forward to a wonderful & prosperous 2017 as we work together to #MAGA (Make America Great Again),” said Trump on Twitter.
The magnate bade farewell to 2016 at his private Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida, but he took the opportunity to once again tweak China by saying “We’ll see” when asked about a possible meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who will travel to the United States in January en route to Central America.
Trump and the president of Taiwan, which China considers to be part of its sovereign territory, spoke by telephone after the Nov. 8 election ignoring four decades of bilateral relations based on the US recognition of “one China,” namely the Beijing government, a policy that runs counter to Taiwan’s aspirations to independence.
In addition, Trump once again expressed skepticism about US intelligence agencies’ reports that Russia tried to influence the presidential election with cyberattacks aimed at hurting Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
The New York mogul said that he knows “things that other people don’t know” about the alleged cyberattacks and that “you will find out on Tuesday or Wednesday” about them, although he did not elaborate.
Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has expressed a desire to change the course of Washington’s relations with Moscow, which have sunk to their lowest point in decades. Specifically, he wants to work with Russia to defeat the Islamic State and resolve the war in Syria.
Brookings foreign policy expert Ted Piccone told EFE that the country is entering unknown territory regarding Trump’s foreign policy, given that the magnate has never held public office and has shown only limited understanding and interest of foreign affairs.
On his first day in office, Trump has promised to launch efforts to end Obamacare and renegotiate US free trade treaties with an eye toward bringing back jobs to this country after numerous companies have moved their production operations abroad.
Having said that he will make full use of his executive authority, Trump also has Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, which may significantly aid him in implementing some of his proposals.