Abstract:
From 1993 to 2015, the relationship between the United States and China was a
mixture of cooperation and conflict, spanning multiple presidential
administrations from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama. While conflicts arose during
preceding presidencies, such as disputes over trade, they did not escalate to the
level of a full-blown trade war before the Trump administration. However in
2018, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, the United States initiated
a trade war with China. This study aims to address the research question “How
does Donald Trump's idiosyncratic factors initiate the US Trade War against
China?” Using Hermann’s Leadership Trait Analysis and Preston’s Typology of
Leadership Styles, this paper specifically focuses on the leadership of Trump and
his take on US’ foreign policy at the individual level that has impacted the
US-China trade relations significantly. The findings of this study reveal that
Trump's idiosyncratic factors, such as his conflicting and transactional worldview,
have influenced trade war policies by consistently threatening and imposing
punitive measures on China. Furthermore, Trump's personal political style,
characterized by an inward-looking and nationalistic approach, has also exerted
influence towards his decision-making process and leadership, establishing him as
a Director-Maverick. This is evident where the outbreak of the Trade War itself
has been driven by Trump’s need for power and control over China. It is worth
noting that Trump's foreign policy repertoire is limited, and many of his decisions
in foreign policy are influenced by his background as a businessman.
