US’ Pacific Allies Brace for Return of Donald Trump [Video]

Key U.S. partners in East Asia may be bracing for the return of Donald Trump, who is poised to win a second term as president.

As of time of writing, GOP candidate Trump had secured 267 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win, compared to vice president and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris‘s 224.

When Trump takes office in January, it could herald the return of the “America first”-centered foreign policy that characterized his first term, which pressed U.S. allies to contribute more to their own defense and took a tougher stance on trade imbalances.

It could also mark a shift away from President Joe Biden‘s “latticework” policy of increasing multilateral engagement in the region to counter an increasingly assertive China and respond to security threats from North Korea.

South Korea

In an interview with Bloombergin October, Trump said South Korea should foot more of the bill to keep 28,000 U.S. troops …