The U.S.–China–Russia Triangle

 

The Global Paradox: A New Map of Power

The current international landscape is complex and fast-moving. The interplay between Trump’s foreign policy and the delicate balance of Russia–China relations hints at a fundamental restructuring of alliances and interests.

Henry Kissinger’s diplomatic strategy remains one of the Cold War’s most successful geopolitical plays: separate China from the Soviet Union to secure U.S. strategic advantage. By improving ties with Beijing, Washington constrained Moscow’s global influence.

Today’s picture is similar—and fundamentally different. Trump’s approach appears to seek a recalibration with Russia as a way to counterbalance China. His position on the Russia–Ukraine war departs from the traditional Western line, giving greater weight to Moscow’s strategic calculus.

Seen through this lens, U.S. strategy can be read as an effort to draw Russia into a more neutral—or even selectively cooperative—stance to contain China’s rapid rise. The pattern echoes the Kissinger era, even as the actors and constraints have changed.

As the axis of the Great Game shifts, simple binaries no longer explain global politics. Relationships among Russia, China, and the United States are fluid, and the triangle can be reconfigured at any moment as national interests evolve.

Trump’s approach signals a realist worldview that prioritizes practical national interests over ideology—an orientation that may shape the next chapter of international politics.

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Trump 2.0: The Return of State Capitalism?

Trump’s state-capitalist turn outlines a new economic paradigm. Departing from pure free-market orthodoxy, it emphasizes active government involvement—“America First” operationalized in the economy.

At its core: protection of key industries and strategic industrial policy. Tariffs are used to reshore manufacturing; support is focused on semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. Beyond narrow economics, the goal is to restore U.S. competitive strength across global value chains.

Facing China’s state-led model, the U.S. seeks tighter public-private coordination. The priorities are straightforward: create domestic jobs, strengthen manufacturing, and maximize U.S. leverage in supply chains.

This diverges from neoliberal doctrine. It is an attempt to rebuild economic capacity through strategic state action—and to rewrite the terms of the global economic order.

Layered onto this is a populist politics that some associate with neo-fascist tendencies: replacing broad-based taxation with tariffs, reviving isolationist and protectionist instincts, and elevating national security and self-reliance as supreme values.

Yet alliances still matter for order. It is worth asking how effectively Washington can counter Beijing without deep coordination with Canada and Mexico, Europe, Korea, Japan, India, and Taiwan.

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Dollar, Debt, Gold, and Bitcoin

A brief tour of Trump’s financial philosophy:

• The Dollar. Trump views the dollar as a core instrument of U.S. economic and geopolitical power, seeking to reinforce its reserve-currency status and amplify American influence in global markets—backed by tax cuts and stimulus to project strength.

• U.S. Debt. He treats sovereign debt with a business negotiator’s mindset—less a static burden than a tool to be restructured or managed strategically—an approach that contrasts with orthodox fiscal doctrine.

• Gold. He signals trust in gold as a store of value, especially amid geopolitical uncertainty. His broader policy mix often—implicitly—aligns with conditions favorable to gold.

• Bitcoin. His stance has evolved from skepticism to conditional recognition of crypto’s potential. He frames it as both a challenge to the legacy system and a possible vehicle for financial innovation.

Together, these views amount to a bid to redefine U.S. financial sovereignty and innovation—questioning inherited assumptions and testing new ground.

At the same time, a notable feature of Trump’s career is the absence of a single, consistent value system. He excels at self-promotion and branding, leans on populist mobilization, and emphasizes “America First” as an urgent response to perceived national crisis.