Uncertainty for a Region Already in Tumult
Across the Middle East, where the United States has a long history of often divisive involvement, many seemed to have no idea how to react to the election of Mr. Trump, since he spent little time during his campaign spelling out his plans for the region.
While the leaders of some American allies, like President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey, quickly congratulated Mr. Trump, others took a wait-and-see approach.
Official reaction was scarce from Saudi Arabia, which Mr. Trump has said may no longer be able to count on American defense guarantees and should give the United States "free oil for the next 10 years[1]."
Syrians, too, said they had little inkling what the vote would mean for the civil war in their country, although many in the opposition had expressed hope that a victory for Hillary Clinton would mean more robust support for the rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad. Instead, they were coming to terms with a leader who has professed admiration for Mr. Putin, who is helping Mr. Assad stay in power.
"I am scared, scared for Syria," said Murhaf Jouejati, the chairman of the Day After[2] organization, an independent body that aims to prepare Syrians for a democratic future. "Here is a man who is openly saying that he is going to defer to the Russians on Syria. This is a clear victory for the Assad regime."
Many have expressed worry that Mr. Trump's negative statements about Islam and Muslims would translate into aggressive policies in the region, as well as making it harder for displaced Syrians to seek refuge.
— BEN HUBBARD and ANNE BARNARD
In Japan, Anxiety From an Ally
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had been planning to meet Mrs. Clinton in Washington in February, tried to calm his country, as the yen surged and stocks stumbled. "Hand in hand with Trump, we will try to work together," he said.
On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump singled out Japan. He claimed that Tokyo was not paying its fair share to support United States military bases, calling into question the American commitment to defend Japan in case of attack.
Analysts in Japan said that even if Mrs. Clinton was not necessarily popular, she was predictable. "Mr. Trump is a loose cannon and nobody really knows what to expect from him," said Jeffrey Kingston, the director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo.
A rising China could also put a check on Mr. Trump's stated ambitions in Asia. "Maybe he will decrease the commitment to Pacific security issues," said Shin Kawashima, professor of international relat ions at the University of Tokyo. "But if he carries out such a policy, China will be much more authoritative and aggressive in the Pacific. And then most of the alliance countries and security experts in Washington will be against Trump's policies. It is a little difficult for Trump to just change all the old policies."
Mr. Abe's administration has embraced the security alliance with the United States, while slowly building up [3]its [4]own military capabilities[5] and strengthening ties with Russia. Mr. Trump's talk of disengaging from the region could embolden those efforts.
— MOTOKO RICH and HISAKO UENO
South Korea Warns the North Not to 'Misjudge'
President Park Geun-hye of South Korea congratulated Mr. Trump, citing his "experience with excellent achievements in various fields and his leadership."
Ms. Park later instructed her government to coordinate closely with Mr. Trump's transition team to ensure that the allies would maintain strong sanctions and pressure on North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program.
"North Korea should not misjudge the solidity of our alliance with the United States and our joint ability to respond" to provocations, Jeong Joon-hee, a govern ment spokesman, said.
Mr. Trump unsettled South Koreans when he said that he might withdraw American troops from their country unless Seoul paid more for their presence. He also indicated that he might let Japan and South Korea protect themselves with nuclear weapons and that he might negotiate directly with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.
Mr. Trump's surprisingly strong performance caught analysts off guard, but it was welcome news for those in South Korea who believe that their country must build its own nuclear weapons to defend against North Korea.
— CHOE SANG-HUN
China Braces for a Tenser Relationship
Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, "We hope to strive together with the new U.S. administration to advance the continued healthy and stable development of Sino-American relations, to the benefit of the two countries and the world."
Asked about Chinese-American economic relations, Mr. Lu said that the growth in trade and economic ties had been a boon to both countries. "It certainly has brought benefits to the people of both," he said. "As for certain specific disputes in Sino-U.S. relations, both countries are important members of the W.T.O. framework, and they already have an existing mature framew ork and model for handling these problems. I'm confident that China and the United States are two mature powers able to properly handle these problems."
Pressed on Mr. Trump's remarks that trade with China had devastated American manufacturing, Mr. Lu said that "over the past few decades, Sino-U.S. trade has benefited the people on both sides, including the American people, and has increased employment, rather than the opposite."
The prospects of a Trump victory had been greeted with ambivalence in China, which has grown more assertive at home and abroad during the presidency of Xi Jinping. Chinese officials had worried about the unpredictability of a Trump administration, and they were expecting a more hawkish United States policy toward Beijing on issues like the South China Sea if Mr s. Clinton was elected.
Su Hao, a professor of international relations at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said that the Chinese government was probably ready for a Trump presidency. "There could be less conflicts between United States and China," he said. Mrs. Clinton backed President Obama's "pivot[6]" toward Asia, while Mr. Trump criticized it. Beijing sees the pivot strategy as an attempt to contain China's rising power.
But Professor Su also said that "a decline of China-U.S. rel ations is inevitable" under a Trump presidency, predicting: "More frictions on trade would arise during his administration."
"But in general," he added, "the Republicans have proved they are capable of maintaining a stable relationship with China. We expect the tie could stay on track."
— YUFAN HUANG
Malaysian Leader Lauds Trump's Upset Victory
Prime Minister Najib Razak was one of the first leaders to offer effusive praise for Mr. Trump.
"The world has watched this year's presidential election with fascination," he said in a statement. "At almost every turn, media commentators have been proved wrong and the results anticipated by experts have been overturned. Donald Trump was considered a distant outsider when his candidacy was first announced. He beat the establishment consensus by winning the Republican nomination, and did so again with his remarkable victory today. Mr. Trump's success shows that politicians should never take voters for granted."
Mr. Najib, who has stared down corruption charges[7], added: "His appeal to Americans who have been left behind — those who want to see their government more focused on their interests and welfare, and less embroiled in foreign interventions that proved to be against U.S. interests — have won Mr. Trump the White House."
— SEWELL CHAN
A Surprise for India, World's Largest Democracy
For India, which has become accustomed to the United States' assertion of power in the Asia-Pacific region, a central question is whether Washington will reduce its military presence.
"If that is called into question, India will no longer be able to rely on the U.S. to be there as a security provider," said Dhruva Jaishankar, a fellow at the Brookings Institution India Center. The result could be more assertive attitudes from China, Japan and Korea.
Mr. Trump's victory might also have an impact on the about 1.5 million Indians li ving in the United States, who could feel the effect of anti-immigration and xenophobic sentiment, Mr. Jaishankar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who formed a notably warm relationship with President Obama, is a pragmatic leader who will have little difficulty connecting with Mr. Trump, Mr. Jaishankar said.
In a panel discussion broadcast on the NDTV news channel, Leela Ponappa, a former deputy national security adviser, spoke about the uncertainty across Asia. "Trump is going to add to those uncertainties," she said. "What happens to the Japanese alliance? What happens to the Korean alliance?"
— ELLEN BARRY and NIDA NAJAR
Australia Says United States Has 'No Better Friend'
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull reassured his people that "Americans understand that they have no stronger ally, no better friend, than Australia."
Mr. Turnbull said the American role in the Pacific region had underpinned stability, economic growth and a rules-based order, a term he and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have used when discussing the resolution of disputes with China over territorial and fishing rights in the South China Sea.
"I have great confidence that all of our engagement will continue to be strong and intimate, filled with the trust and confidence that has characterized it for so many years," Mr. Turnbull said.
— MICHELLE INNIS
References
- ^ free oil for the next 10 years (twitter.com)
- ^ Day After (tda-sy.org)
- ^ building up (www.nytimes.com)
- ^< /sup> its (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ own military capabilities (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ pivot (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ stared down corruption charges (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ Continue reading the main story (www.nytimes.com)
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