I’ve written several times about how Donald Trump’s rhetoric suggesting radical foreign-policy changes could threaten US companies’ trade secrets. See here and here. In particular, I’ve been concerned about Trump’s aggressive stance towards China, including statements about upending the “One China” policy.
Now that we’re several weeks into Trump’s presidency, we are seeing signs that his foreign policy won’t be so radical after all.
This New York Times Article, titled Trump Foreign Policy Quickly Loses its Sharp Edge, explains:
As Mr. Trump begins to shape his foreign policy, he is proving to be less of a radical than either his campaign statements or his tempestuous early phone calls with foreign leaders would suggest.
The article discusses how Trump’s actions as president differ from his campaign statements, including his recent affirmation of the One China policy. It also talks about how Cabinet members like Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have emerged as persuasive voices, advocating for a more stable approach to geopolitical issues.
This is encouraging. I have been very concerned that Trump’s volatile, unpredictable style, combined with his lack of experience, would strain the relationships between the US and countries like China that have a history of state-sponsored trade-secrets theft. For now, it seems like there are voices of reason within his administration who have Trump’s ear. But at this very early stage of Trump’s presidency, substantial uncertainty remains.
Note: This is not a political blog, and I am not commenting on the more controversial issues discussed in the NY Times article. Here, I am solely focused on how the Trump administration’s actions impact companies’ trade secrets.
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