The world reacts to Donald Trump’s victory
IN governments, on the markets and about the streets, the world responded with shock and awe at the result of the US presidential election.
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IN governments, on the markets and about the streets, the world reacted with shock and awe at the result of the US presidential election with Asian leaders particularly fearing a change in trade, migration and US engagement.
Trump’s rise has been keenly watched abroad as he campaigned on a platform of trashing trade agreements, restricting immigration, dismissing climate change, and otherwise disengaging from the rest of the world.
Financial markets registered their concern, with Tokyo’s main index tumbling 5.5 per cent, leading regional stocks mostly downward including the S&P 500 index futures that fell 5 per cent to hit their so-called limit down levels, indicating they would not be permitted to trade any lower until day-side trading resumed today.
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European markets are also expected to plunge when it wakes later.
The Mexican peso noticeably plunged to its lowest-ever levels amid Trump threats to tear up the NAFTA free trade agreement, tax monies earned by Mexican migrants that they send home and use that tax to build the great wall on the southern US-Mexican border. A three per cent contraction in the Mexican economy was being billed as a worst-case scenario from the election result.
Before Trump claimed victory Japan, who had remained neutral throughout the campaign, had government insiders reportedly working out scenarios for a possible change in policies with the US should he win.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga however reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the US-Japan security alliance and declared the alliance the corner stone of US-Japanese diplomacy.
In China, the election result was being pitched as an example of the “rebellion” against America’s political and financial elites within the “sick” democracy.
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In Indonesia the press was referencing the possible repercussion for its largely Muslim population given Trump’s railing against Muslims and threats to ban travel to the US for those of Islamic faith.
“As a Muslim I feel very uncomfortable if Trump wins, he has always been anti-Muslim and I am afraid he will discriminate against Muslims,” said Sugiyo, a member of a leading Indonesian moderate Muslim organisation.
“The United States is a multicultural country and there are a lot of Muslims there, so this is very terrifying.”
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his victory.
“Putin expressed hope for joint work to restore Russian-American relations from their state of crisis, and also to address pressing international issues and search for effective responses to challenges concerning global security,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin also said he was sure a constructive dialogue between Moscow and Washington would serve the interests of both countries, the Kremlin said.
In Argentina, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said the presumptive Trump victory could stall moves to improve relations between the two countries.
She said a new era of co-operation and trade was being established with the US since President Maurico Macri came to power but she said the “more closed, isolationist and xenophobic” rhetoric from Trump suggested there could be a major change in relations between the US and Latinos across the region.
Probably only Britain’s political and trade chiefs will welcome the Trump move when they wake later with Trump having trumpeted a swift move to establish a US-UK trade alliance particularly in the wake of the Brexit vote.
France’s far-right National Front party leader Marine Le Pen congratulated Trump.
“Congratulations to the new president of the United States Donald Trump and to the free American people!” she said on Twitter.
In Germany, Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen told German television Trump’s run was a huge shock.
But she told broadcaster ARD: “I think Trump knows that this was not a vote for him but rather against Washington, against the establishment.”
Originally published as The world reacts to Donald Trump’s victory
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