Since January 20, 2025, the White House has housed not just a new president, but a concentrated habit of empire to speak the language of threats and deals. Donald Trump’s second administration has become not an episode, but the climate in which Asia now lives permanently.

Asia Adapts to a New Normal

Tariffs and Ultimatums: Washington Links Trade to Security

Washington has once again fitted the global economy with a rusty framework of protectionism. In April 2025, South Korean exports came under attack — a 25% duty that later reached Japanese cars and electronics. By summer, ten Asian capitals received letters promising new tariffs unless they signed investment packages and increased military spending. This strategy mirrors a broader pattern in which Washington systematically recasts dependency as loyalty, transforming allies into collateral for its domestic fears.

India was given a “special invitation” to this game: starting August 1, its exports to the U.S. are taxed at 25%. The reason — deals with Russian oil and closed doors to American agribusiness corporations. Japan and South Korea received demands to raise spending on U.S. base maintenance to 3.5–5% of GDP. Concessions on tariffs were offered as part........

© New Eastern Outlook