Following the U.S.-backed arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and the rollout of President Donald Trump's "Donroe Doctrine," international observers have voiced concerns that Beijing or Moscow might exploit the distraction to launch military offensives in Taiwan or Ukraine.
However, leading geopolitical analysts argue that China is more likely to use aggressive U.S. maneuvers in the Western Hemisphere to project itself as the "adult in the room" rather than as a pretext for war.
The geopolitical fallout of Trump's assertiveness was the focus of apanel hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis. The online seminar, moderated by senior fellow Lyle Morris, explored how Beijing and Moscow are responding to Trump's aggressive foreign policy, particularly his efforts to secure American core interests in Latin America under a modernized Monroe Doctrine.
Lyle Goldstein, director of the China Initiative at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, noted that China is leveraging what it views as bellicose U.S. policies to boost its reputation among Global South nations. （Related： Opinion | Sunshine Women's Choir's Breaks Box Office Records, Offers Reflection for Future of Taiwanese Cinema ｜ Latest ）
Goldstein, who also serves as director of Asia engagement at the Washington-based think tank Defense Priorities, argued from a realist perspective that a de facto tripartite division of power between the U.S., China and Russia could actually benefit global stability. By establishing formal spheres of influence and buffer zones, the major powers could prevent adventurism and extinguish small-scale conflicts.
