The Idiosyncratic factors of Donald Trump in initiating United States of America trade war against China (2018-2020)

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.