[Global Focus] The Emerging 'Trump-style Imperialism'... How Far Will the Territorial Expansion Ambition Go?

From Canada, Greenland, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal to Gaza Strip
"True leaders seek real solutions, not real estate deals," critics say
Rise of imperialist power raises concerns over dictatorships and harm to small nations

"Trump is the first U.S. president in 100 years to claim territorial expansion. He represents the new American imperialism." (The Economist)

U.S. President Donald Trump's territorial expansion moves are relentless. On the 4th (local time), after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump declared, "The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip." This effectively expressed America's intention for permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip. Earlier, President Trump issued an executive order to change the official name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" and repeatedly insisted that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States. Moreover, he stated that the U.S. should regain control of the Panama Canal and that military and economic means would not be ruled out to control Greenland, which is under Danish sovereignty.

From Greenland to Gaza Strip... "Foreign policy as real estate development"

This is not the first time President Trump has treated diplomatic issues as if they were "profitable" real estate development projects. At the 2018 North Korea-U.S. summit held in Singapore with North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un, he revealed that he proposed building hotels on North Korea's excellent beaches where rocket launch sites are located.

According to the BBC, "Administration officials say Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland is steady and seriously intense. Discussions about Canada and the Panama Canal are no longer treated as jokes," adding, "The conclusion to be drawn from Trump's shocking proposals is that we should not be surprised if a real estate developer becomes president and includes real estate development in foreign policy."

Countries targeted by President Trump's shocking statements, reminiscent of the imperialist era, quickly rebutted. Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico City, referred to the North American map before the founding of the United States and suggested calling the U.S. "Mexican America." Some regions in Canada decided to stop selling American-made alcoholic beverages and juices. Greenland, ahead of next month's general election, enacted a "Foreign Donation Prohibition Act" to block President Trump's influence.

The Panamanian government is also continuing disputes with the U.S. over canal tolls. Panamanian President Jos? Ra?l Mulino said, "Panama is not the number one country in the world, but it is not at the bottom either," and added, "The Panama Canal will forever belong to the Panamanian people."

On the 6th (local time), protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, opposing U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza Strip plan. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Among the targets of "Trump-style imperialism," there is particularly strong criticism of the plan to forcibly relocate Palestinian residents from the Gaza Strip, which the U.S. would then own and redevelop. Forced relocation is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, making it a clear violation of international law. The Arab League (AL), composed of 22 Arab countries, called the U.S. proposal to occupy the Gaza Strip shocking and criticized it for "violating international law and causing greater instability."

There are claims that President Trump's Gaza Strip development plan not only conflicts with international law but is also highly unrealistic. Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times columnist, questioned, "If Trump is reluctant to provide $40 billion annually to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to save lives worldwide, where will he find the hundreds of billions of dollars needed to accommodate 2 million Gaza residents?" He added, "Even if all Palestinians were expelled from Gaza, that land would not become U.S. territory, just as Russia cannot legally occupy parts of Ukraine."

He further pointed out, "Forcing Gaza residents to leave their homeland is not the 'charity' Trump spoke of but a crime against humanity. (The Gaza development plan) is completely unrealistic and only damages America's reputation."

U.S. Democratic Representative Troy Carter also said, "Developing war-torn land into a 'Trump Golf Resort' is not a plan for peace but an insult to the people of Gaza," adding, "A true leader seeks practical solutions rather than treating territorial issues like real estate deals."

Should be viewed from a sovereignty perspective rather than isolationism... Concerns over sacrifices of dictatorships and small countries

Reuters Yonhap News

President Trump's ambition for territorial expansion contradicts his claim of "America cannot continue to be the world's policeman," advocating "isolationism" and reducing U.S. involvement in international affairs. Instead of focusing on domestic issues, he continuously makes expansionist remarks. Therefore, there is an analysis that the foreign policy of Trump's second administration can no longer be interpreted from an isolationist perspective. Jennifer Mittelstadt, a professor at Rutgers University, explained, "Recent moves by Trump show limits to calling him an isolationist. Threats to annex Canada, occupy Greenland, and claim the Panama Canal do not align with isolationism."

Professor Mittelstadt pointed out that President Trump should be viewed from a sovereignty perspective rather than isolationism. Just as sovereignty advocates in the 1930s led the "America First" movement opposing U.S. involvement in World War II, Trump is pursuing a sovereignty policy that rejects international cooperation and asserts a "strong America" under the pretext of protecting U.S. sovereignty.

Professor Mittelstadt warned, "(Trump's sovereignty policies) are likely to weaken the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The U.S. will try to regain its dominance over the American continent, similar to the Monroe Doctrine era," adding, "Furthermore, regimes worldwide with similar characteristics to Trump will become bolder."

There is also an interpretation that President Trump, who acts in his favor by using power dominance even at the expense of other countries, is no different from Chinese President Xi Jinping or Russian President Vladimir Putin. Andreas Kluth, former editor-in-chief of the German economic newspaper Handelsblatt, analyzed, "Looking into the minds of the presidents of the U.S., China, and Russia, there is not a clash of ideologies but a 'shared mindset.' This is precisely what causes problems."

Kluth viewed the Cold War period, when capitalism and communism confronted each other, as outwardly dangerous but actually stable and ultimately peacefully concluded. In contrast, he pointed out that Xi Jinping, Putin, and Trump are not engaged in ideological battles but are simply obsessed with the desire for power, which is the standard form of imperialism. Kluth warned, "In Asia, Xi Jinping, and in Eastern Europe, Putin, are filling the void left by the recent decline of the U.S. role that hindered the implementation of neo-imperialism," adding, "Putin and Xi will try to divide the world into their respective spheres of influence through negotiations with Trump."

He continued, "If Trump, Putin, and Xi fail to agree on 'spoils,' it could lead to war, and dictatorships may arise within their countries. Meanwhile, many small countries caught in the middle of these imperialists will become victims."