Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

On Tuesday, one day after Donald Trump's inauguration, the foreign ministers of the Quad countries held a meeting in Washington. As the diplomatic "debut" of the new US administration, this meeting was clearly more about signaling a stance than providing details on cooperation. This is evidenced by the brief joint statement, which contained only "standard" content, including a reaffirmation of a "shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific" as well as commitments to "strengthening regional security" and "promoting reliable and resilient supply chains." 

Such a short statement stands in stark contrast to the one issued by the Quad foreign ministers commemorating the 20th anniversary of Quad cooperation earlier this month, which included more substantive content and directional measures. This suggests that the Trump administration is still figuring out the tone of its foreign policy, including cooperation with allies, in the early days of its tenure. Taking this Quad foreign ministers meeting as an example, along with the Trump administration's recent remarks and actions, it is not difficult to see that the new administration is experiencing confusion in its foreign policy.

First, it remains undecided how, or even whether, the Trump administration will continue the Joe Biden administration's strategy toward allies and partners. The Quad is an important tool in the Biden administration's "Indo-Pacific Strategy" aimed at curbing China, and it also serves as an important indicator of how the Trump administration will inherit and adjust its predecessor's political and diplomatic legacy.

Looking back on the development of the Quad mechanism, it is clear that geopolitical considerations have always been the core driving force.

The Quad grouping was initiated in 2007 and remained "in silence" for a decade. As Washington clamored for intensified competition with China, the mechanism was reactivated during Trump's first presidency and elevated to the leader level during the Biden administration. Whether the new Trump administration might adopt a different approach toward the Quad will significantly influence the trajectory of this mechanism moving forward. 

The Quad foreign ministers' meeting, held soon after Trump took office, showed that the new administration requires the support of its allies while advocating "America first." The US will likely simultaneously pursue the two goals of "winning the competition against China" and "reaping from allies and partners." 

Prioritizing US interests remains the cognitive core of the Trump administration's foreign policy. Faced with challenges such as the rise of China and the decline of domestic manufacturing in the US, the domestic resources that the Trump administration can mobilize are, to some extent, limited. As a result, it may continue to pursue an external cost-sharing strategy and depend on allies and partners to expand its pool of strategic resources.

The approach of "cost outsourcing" indicates that the US expects its allies and partners to shoulder more of the military and tariff burdens. Additionally, this strategy aims to help reshape US-based industries and supply chains while reversing the trade deficits and industrial outflows with various countries. Ultimately, it is expected to reinforce the US' dominant position, solidifying the roles of Japan, India, Australia and other allies as key US "assistants" in containing China. However, the US attempts to share the cost of competing with China through the alliance and partnership system, but is unwilling to contribute money and efforts to multilateral mechanisms. This situation is a reflection of its decline in power. 

The author is an assistant research fellow of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn