Economist slams U.S. diplomacy as unstable, improvisational

China

Economist slams U.S. diplomacy as unstable, improvisational

2025-10-11 14:00 Last Updated At：10-12 00:37

A renowned U.S. economist has warned that the Trump administration’s unstable and improvisational approach to foreign policy is deepening uncertainty.

Jeffrey Sachs, a Columbia University professor and former special advisor to three UN secretaries-general, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired Friday, urging longer-term thinking and fact-based diplomacy.

"The world remains in a very fragile and dangerous place. And so we need public understanding. And unfortunately, the official government statements do not comport with the facts. And our government is capable of saying things completely contradictory to the facts. And so I think that it is necessary to keep pointing out the real situation," he said.

Sachs said China operates through long-term, systematic planning and a complex governance structure, while the United States relies on improvisational diplomacy that breeds instability and uncertainty.

"The hardest part right now is that President [Donald] Trump and the Trump administration is very unstable in its policies. We have a policy in the morning, a different policy in the afternoon and a third policy at night. China operates in a completely different way. I'm hoping the United States can actually turn to longer-term thinking and to diplomacy and negotiation with China, rather than this unilateralism and this improvisation. I'm not too optimistic, but that's what we should have," he said.

Sachs served special advisor to three UN secretaries-general, dedicating himself to sustainable development, global poverty reduction, and economic growth. He offers his unique insights on regional hotspots, international developments, and even the evolving global landscape.

U.S. freezes immigrant visa processing from 75 countries

The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday that it is pausing immigrant visa processing from 75 countries.

The measure will apply to "countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people," the department said on X.

The pause impacts countries including Somalia, Haiti, Iran and Eritrea, "whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival," said the State Department.

Earlier on Wednesday, the department announced in a memo that it would suspend visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen, according to a Fox News report.

The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing, the report said. The move came after the White House announced on Tuesday that it is ending temporary protected status for Somali immigrants amid fraud allegations in Minnesota.

On Monday, the State Department announced on social media that it had revoked over 100,000 visas since U.S. President Donald Trump took office nearly a year ago.

In November 2025, Trump announced his intention to permanently suspend immigration from what he described as "Third World countries", following the death of a National Guard member after being shot near the White House by an Afghan national.