2016 US election: World leaders try to unravel potential impact of Trump presidency
WORLD leaders will today attempt to calm global jitters after Donald Trump’s stunning election victory wiped billions of dollars off stockmarkets.
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WORLD leaders will today attempt to calm global jitters after Donald Trump’s stunning election victory wiped billions of dollars off the world’s stockmarkets and sent the neighbouring Mexican peso to its lowest level in history.
A public silence descended on global leaders as prime ministers and presidents held urgent meetings with senior advisers to refine strategies to negotiate with a potentially volatile Trump administration.
As the unthinkable happened, $34 billion was wiped off the Australian stockmarket, Tokyo fell 5.4 per cent, Wellington 3.3 per cent, Singapore 1.8 per cent and South Korea 2.3 per cent.
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In Mexico, where Mr Trump has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, their currency fell a whopping 12 per cent.
Outgoing US President Barack Obama attempted to calm concerns, declaring: “No matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning.”
Australia’s plans for a Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal now looked doomed, and there are also concerns the Trump administration will cut back its military involvement in the Asia Pacific.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who cleverly remained largely silent on the US election race, last night called for calm, declaring Australia’s relationship Washington would not be hurt.
He predicted Mr Trump would lead a united nation.
“This great nation of the United States has the capacity to come together, and it will,’’ he said.
“Let me reassure all Australians that the ties that bind Australia and the US are profound, they’re strong, they’re based on our enduring national interests.
“We have no stronger relationship whether it is on the battlefield or in commerce than we have than the US.”
Mr Turnbull said he understood the election campaign would have stunned many Australians but was pleased to see Mr Trump’s victory speech had toned down the rhetoric.
“I understand Australians have been confronted by the intensity of the political battle in the United States,’’ he said.
“President-elect Trump himself described it as being at times a nasty campaign and it was, certainly by our standards, a very bitter one. You have seen already the way he reached out to bring Americans together.”
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Foreign Minister Julie Bishop admitted Australia had concerns about Mr Trump’s plans to insulate Australia and potentially take a reduced role in the Asia-Pacific region. She said she had reached out to the Trump team during the campaign.
“Countries in our region are looking for more US leadership and not less in the Asia-Pacific,’’ she said.
“We must see the opportunity for Australia to engage closely at an early stage to ensure the administration focuses on our region and the importance of the US presence in the Asia-Pacific.”
Mr Trump has said he is a strong supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian politicians reacted positively to the result.
“I am convinced sanctions will be dropped completely,” Gennady Zyuganov, leader of Russia’s second largest party, the Communist Party.
Hillary Clinton had previously described Mr Trump as being a puppet of Mr Putin.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said his nation would look to find some stability in the Trump administration.
“France is an ally of the United States. We are therefore a key partner and we need to work together for stability and peace in the world, and for a world which tackles the key issues facing it,” he said.
“We are going to need to understand what the new American president will want to do.’’
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen admitted she was in “huge shock”.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who has described Mr Trump as “barking mad”, last night said Australia’s relationship with the US was greater than any one personality.
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