A Geoeconomic Assessment of East Asia under a Second Trump Administration

Since the rise of Xi Jinping, China has entered the international arena with a markedly more confident posture. In particular, it has openly confronted the United States during the Trump administration, projecting the image of a “strong China.” For South Korea, economic cooperation with China accounts for a substantial share of its external economic relations, while regional stability—shaped by East Asia’s geopolitical configuration— exerts a critical influence on its economy. The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) promoted by China is expected to play a decisive role in determining the scope and depth of China’s regional influence in the years ahead. Initially, China’s objective was to secure resources essential for its sustained development—such as oil from the Middle East—by circumventing U.S. hegemonic influence. However, following the advent of the Xi Jinping leadership, China has adopted a more proactive strategy, embodied in the Belt and Road Initiative as a comprehensive and macro-level framework. Understanding the background of these policy shifts and examining their trajectory provides important implications for South Korea’s economic activities within the region.