The Evolution Of U.S. National Security Strategy From The Obama To Trump Administration

Since President Ronald Reagan submitted the first formal National Security Strategy Report to congress in 1987,six presidents and eight administrations had submitted 16 National Security Strategy Reports to congress until early 2020.The content of the National Security Strategy Report including cognition and judgment of the U.S.government for the current security environment,national interests and its threats,and plans to take strategic moves.National Security Strategy is the most important and top national security strategy document of the U.S.government,and has important guiding significance to the administrative department of the government diplomacy,military,security policy,etc.In the early days of Obama's presidency in 2009,the United States was facing the challenges of two wars--global terrorism and the financial crisis,which directly related to relative decline of the U.S.hegemony and the rise of emerging powers.The Bush administration's policy of pre-emption not only severely overdrew the U.S.national power and damaged its international image,but also made the U.S.hard to maintain hegemony.The Obama administration have submitted two National Security Strategy reports in May 2010 and in February 2015 respectively,which were no longer regard anti-terrorism as the first priority,and emphasizing careful use of force,highly stressing to revive the U.S.economy and leading the world.These reports also proposed that the importance of abandoning unilateralism,promoting multilateral cooperation,using a variety of ways and "smart power" to maintain and develop the interests of the United States.Guided by these National Security Strategy reports,the Obama administration's national security strategy has made some achievements,including the U.S.economy back on track,withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan,and Iran's nuclear agreement,the establishment of diplomatic ties,relations with Cuban thaw,and actively promoted the Asia-Pacific Rebalancing Strategy,joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement(TPP),etc.However,Obama administration's national security strategy also has certain limitations,if we put it in the global environment and a long historical period,the continuing downward in the U.S.economy and global economy environment,as well as its own political system's some restrictions,which determined the Obama administration's security strategy is difficult to bring the big reform or breakthrough,also hard to bring big changes to the U.S.security environment.Trump administration's first National Security Strategy report submitted to congress in December 2017,which highly emphasized the "America first" and the Principled Realism.The Trump administration regard revive the U.S.economy as the top priority,no longer mentioning multilateral cooperation.The report also pointed out that the international system where United States stays in,is a zero-sum game and filled with competition power.It also demands the sharing of the responsibilities in the international order,and has withdrawn from a number of international organizations and agreements.The Trump administration's National Security Strategy report also believe that China and Russia threatening the United States,proposed that the U.S.government readjust the attitude and policy toward China and Russia,especially China's has the most surplus with the U.S..And transformed Obama administration's Asia Pacific Rebalancing Strategy into Into-Pacific Strategy,seek to contain China,and constantly forced other countries to make a choice between China and the U.S.,greatly increased the possibility of a regional contradiction and conflict.The Obama and Trump administration's three National Security Strategy reports reflects the evolution of U.S.national security strategy from 2010 to 2020,from cognition and judgment of international environment,to the U.S.national interests,the threats,and strategic moves.These three reports also reflected the transformations of the U.S.national security strategy: from attacking and dilated strategy,to introversion and contraction strategy;from multilateralism to unilateralism;from internationalism into isolationism.The comparison and analysis of the three National Security Strategy reports of the Obama and Trump administrations will help us deepen the understanding of the U.S.National Security Strategy and Sino-U.S.relation,learn its advantages,also help us to better safeguard and develop China's national interests.