While many geo-political watchers claim Donald Trump has weakened the United States domestically and on the world stage, some experts argue that both the President —and the U.S.— should not be underestimated.
“(Trump) stands out as a far more consequential president than any of his predecessors,” said Kishore Mahbubani, a renowned Singaporean diplomat and author, who has served as President of the UN Security Council.
“He has moved the agenda very, very clearly, and dominates the political scene in a way that no other recent U.S. president has,” added Mahbubani, while addressing the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
Mahbubani, whose widely-read books include Can Asians Think and Has China Won?, added that America’s economy is still 1.5 times larger than China’s, and that it has a powerful weapon: the U.S. dollar.
“In many ways, the Chinese still need to use the U.S. dollar—they can’t escape it. And when the U.S. introduces sanctions involving the USD, it can create significant discomfort for China,” the diplomat said.
