Trump is telegraphing a pivot: pull back to the homeland and the Western Hemisphere—a refurbished Monroe Doctrine in all but name. Some are already celebrating, saying the “US threat” can be shrugged off and it’s time to focus on growth and business; that is naïve. China’s resolve and kit are only now being readied precisely because a major showdown has long been judged unavoidable.
Is it really that serious though?
Obama, Chávez, a signal
On 18 April 2009 at the Summit of the Americas, Barack Obama drew global praise as he calmly shook hands again with Venezuela President Hugo Chávez and accepted a gift: “Open Veins of Latin America” (Spanish: Las venas abiertas de América Latina), the 1970 landmark by Uruguay’s Eduardo Galeano on Latin America’s colonial past and the exploitation by Western “great powers.” Asked what he thought of the book, Obama quipped: “I thought it was one of Chávez’s books. I was going to give him one of mine.”
Chávez’s choice was deliberate. A staunch anti‑US figure in Latin America, he often accused Washington of its “imperialist” policies in the region. Obama parried deftly—wry, quick‑witted, and assured. For the record, in 2006 he published “The Audacity of Hope,” a deep dive into core American political values that became a runaway bestseller.
What Washington believes
Here’s the point. America’s core doctrines—old or new—are not the democracy‑freedom‑human‑rights, knight‑errant stuff people imagine. As mainland scholar Zhang Xinping argued last year, historically the United States embraced the Monroe Doctrine, using interference and carrot‑and‑stick tactics to force Latin American states to serve US interests, driving economic decline and social turmoil across the region.
In recent years, under the banner of “promoting democracy,” Washington has pushed a “New Monroe Doctrine,” waving the flags of democracy, freedom, and human rights to mould other countries and the world order to American values and political systems. From Monroe to “New Monroe,” it is the through‑line of might‑makes‑right—naked hegemonism—that not only gravely harms democratic principles in international relations but also brings chaos and disaster to many countries.
Chávez died in 2013, and Nicolás Maduro promptly took over as Venezuela’s president. Now in his third term, he faces severe US threats. Even as Trump’s camp talks “retrenchment,” Washington suddenly struck Venezuelan merchant vessels, causing heavy casualties—the White House eager to proclaim Monroeism’s ancestral maxim: “America for Americans,” with the United States watching over and calling the shots across the entire hemisphere.
Blunt reminder: this is not the world of 200 years ago. We live in a globalized economy. Shut your door and decide as you wish—fine, but that applies only within US borders. Beyond that—any corner, any patch of ground—the United States must not step over the line. Remember, the global economy and technology require global energy and materials in combination, and the world must operate under one roof—one governance framework—to run smoothly.
Fight your own battles
Trump has rebranded the Pentagon as the War Department and boasted Chicago will soon learn why—because the White House is hell‑bent on “fixing a Democrat‑run city with crime through the roof”. That’s their lane, not ours. It’s an internal affair, period.
Beijing’s September 3 parade springs to mind. When the DF‑5C rolled by, the message was simple: a new liquid‑fuel ICBM with a reach past 12,000 kilometres, and a doctrine boiled down to three terms—“Nuclear trinity, global coverage, full-time alert.” In plain English: any target, anywhere, on call. There is no sanctuary, but assured retaliation.
People say, America’s power brokers are stubborn, and they don’t walk away from two centuries of hegemony on a whim.
Global minus America
Let’s hope there are grown‑ups in Washington who actually understand China’s nuclear mantra. If America wants to focus inward, be my guest: close the door, argue among yourselves, make what you use and use what you make—deliver a world that runs just fine minus America. Most people would happily live with that.
If Trump wants to play, China’s ready to clear the decks and give him the undivided attention—right to the bitter end.
Deep Blue
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
At the beginning of the new year, Donald Trump has single-handedly changed the United States, and the global landscape may also be reshaped. First, he declared that as Commander-in-Chief, the President’s authority is limited only by his own morality. Later, he posted an image on his social platform Truth Social with the caption “Acting President of Venezuela”. The New York Times directly questioned: “Does this mean ignoring international law and acting without any constraints to invade other countries?” Regarding international law, Trump stated, “I abide by it,” but made it clear that when such constraints apply to the United States, he would be the ultimate arbiter.
On January 7, 2026, the President signed a presidential memorandum ordering the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including 31 United Nations entities and multiple major international agreements. This action is aimed at exiting organizations deemed by the White House to be “contrary to U.S. interests” and a waste of taxpayer funds. The UN bodies to be withdrawn from include UN Women, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the International Law Commission.
Clearly, Trump has a unique blueprint that serves only American interests. He might retort: “What era is this, still talking about international law and core values? Don’t you know the current state of the U.S.? Don’t you know that the U.S. has long been planning drastic actions?”
In April 2020, retired U.S. Marine Corps officer Mark Cancian proposed a bold strategy. The National Interest reported: “With a coastline of 9,000 miles and the world’s second-largest merchant fleet after Greece, including Hong Kong, China has over 4,000 ships. This is not an advantage but a vulnerability. The U.S. could effectively blockade China’s economy by launching a clever campaign, leaving it exhausted.” The suggestion was for the U.S. to emulate 16th-century Britain by supporting privateers—civilian organizations specialized in plundering Chinese merchant ships. Given China’s current military capabilities, it should be able to meet such challenges, so there’s no need to worry. Still, one can’t help but applaud the audacity of such an idea.
Back then, Biden paid no attention to this plan, as the Democrats were still refined and attached great importance to the cloak of universal values. At the same time, Biden, at least nominally, had to pay lip service to the United Nations, because ideology mattered. The U.S. had previously displayed a magical logic: attacking you to save your people, destroying your country to introduce democracy and freedom, imposing sanctions because you’re a dictatorship... Trump cannot be like ordinary advocates of universal values, who always cite international law and classical references. First, neither he nor his team possess such knowledge. Second, pretending to uphold morality can no longer maximize American interests. Third, former adversaries have “risen,” gradually establishing international moral authority. If the U.S. continues to preach benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, it will only become a laughingstock. After all, Trump has already discarded America’s credibility like trash.
Retired officer Cancian’s plan is exactly the White House’s cup of tea. For context—in the 16th century, Britain supported privateers, civilian organizations that plundered rival nations’ merchant ships. This was essentially the legalization of piracy, with the British monarch issuing “letters of marque” to recruit outlaws for royal service, dubbing them “royal pirates.” These privateers helped Britain destroy the then-dominant Spain at sea, significantly boosting British power and laying the foundation for the Industrial Revolution.
In reality, Trump has already begun “highway robbery” operations, seizing multiple cargo ships in the Caribbean. The White House has also dropped the pretense. Foreign media reported that Deputy Chief of Staff Miller recently declared: “The only permissible maritime energy transportation must comply with U.S. law and national security.” This is no different from robbery—“This mountain is my domain, these trees are my planting; if you wish to pass, leave your toll.” The only difference is that the U.S. is not just a bandit but a pirate. Similarly, Trump and Cheng Yaojin from the Dramatized History of Sui and Tang Dynasties share the title of “Chaos Demon King.”
Next, following the “Trump Gold Card,” Trump could publicly issue “letters of marque,” auctioning them to the highest bidder, and even list them on Wall Street. Their valuation might surpass that of the “Seven Sisters” oil companies—who knows?
