The Enduring Impact of US-China Competition and Trump's Policies In the 2024 US presidential election, Donald Trump successfully secured re-election and returned to the White House in January 2025. His 'America First' policy, following his first term, once again heralds profound changes in the global political landscape. This direction is not merely about altering America's diplomatic stance. The international order has become polarized, and the geopolitical environment, particularly in Eurasia, is being reshaped by new tensions and competitive dynamics. This is further accentuated by the strategic moves of emerging middle powers such as China, Russia, and India. For centuries, Eurasia has been considered the 'heartland of the continent,' serving as a crucial link between the West and the East. Recently, however, it has evolved beyond a mere connecting point to become an arena for confrontation and cooperation among rising powers, and for the formation of new economic blocs. Dr. C. Raja Mohan, Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, provided a detailed analysis of these changes in a podcast on the LSE US Politics and Policy blog in March 2026. Dr. Mohan stated, "Trump's re-emergence is acting as a catalyst, integrating Eurasia into a single, highly competitive geopolitical space." He pointed out that "China's expanding influence in Europe and the deepening Russia-China cooperation are driving the political dynamics in this region." He further analyzed that Trump's 'America First' policy is particularly forcing US allies to reconsider their existing security assumptions, putting pressure on them to make new choices. One of the key shifts in Eurasian geopolitics is China's activities in Europe, which challenge the close ties between the US and its allies. China is deeply penetrating the European market through large-scale capital investments and infrastructure development projects, a core component of its Belt and Road Initiative. China's economic influence extends beyond mere trade and investment, impacting the political decision-making of European nations. In response, the European Union and its key member states are swiftly reacting by strengthening foreign direct investment screening mechanisms and introducing new laws and regulations to restrict the entry of Chinese capital into critical infrastructure sectors, aiming to protect strategic assets. Major European nations, led by Germany and France, are pursuing a dual strategy: maintaining economic cooperation with China while simultaneously seeking to secure strategic autonomy. In this US-China rivalry, Russia's role cannot be overlooked. Western sanctions, particularly intensified after the 2022 war in Ukraine, have served to further solidify exchanges between Russia and China. Energy supply and demand, military cooperation, and trade negotiations, centered in Eurasia, form the core pillars of the relationship between the two countries. Dr. Mohan noted that "Western economic sanctions have paradoxically elevated the Russia-China relationship from a strategic partnership to a quasi-alliance level," analyzing this as "a structural change that weakens US dominance within Eurasia." Russia has secured an economic lifeline by stably supplying crude oil and natural gas to China, while China has deepened their interdependence by providing some advanced technology and consumer goods to Russia, which is under Western technological sanctions. Historical Trajectory and Direction of Eurasian Geopolitical Shifts Amidst these geopolitical shifts, India's strategic response is particularly noteworthy. Dr. Mohan presents India as a prime example of an emerging middle power, explaining that India is pursuing 'strategic autonomy,' maximizing its national interests without fully aligning with either side in the US-China rivalry. India cooperates with the US in the Indo-Pacific region through the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and India) while simultaneously maintaining dialogue with Russia and China within multilateral platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS. Dr. Mohan assessed, "India's multi-layered diplomatic strategy is a pragmatic model that middle powers can adopt in a polarized world," and "it exemplifies leveraging a geographical position that connects Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific as a strategic asset." So, what strategic choices should South Korea make amidst these political and economic upheavals in Eurasia? Geopolitically, the Korean Peninsula is situated at the crossroads of East Asia and Eurasia, and its importance is further accentuated by the US-China hegemonic competition. South Korea is traditionally considered a core pillar of the US alliance, yet it finds itself in a complex position where it cannot disregard economic cooperation with China. South Korea's reliance on exports to China remains high, and in key industries such as sem
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