US President Donald Trump is believed to be damaging the credibility of US diplomatic strategy by voicing war-mongering threats, especially in the case of North Korea, which many believed aren’t possibly going to happen.
Trump vowed on Aug 8 that North Korea would face “fire and fury” if the country were to continue its nuclear threats. But Trump’s North Korea remarks have often been ignored as few have turned into actions, said Zhang Feng, part-time professor at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in an article he wrote for The Paper.
While North Korea and many other countries may not take Trump’s threats seriously, Zhang said, senior officials in the Trump administration and US strategic elites would have to react properly. It may occur to the US security departments that now is the time to strengthen the country’s strategic credibility, which can be achieved through either persuading the president to mind his words or adjusting policies accordingly, the scholar said.
Given the difficulty to place any sort of control over Trump’s words, it might be more practical for Trump’s team to have their policy design follow the president’s mouth, Zhang said. This could lead to regrettable consequences as his words can be irrational, he said.
In addition to strategic incredulity, Trump’s unpredictable personal disposition is the other key factor that Zhang believes could influence America's North Korea policies. Citing reports by US media, Zhang said Trump’s “fire and fury” remark is purely an off the cuff remark believed to be without the support of internal discussion. Trump’s own uncertainty has undermined the US strategic stability, the scholar noted.