BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The world is closely watching the developments on the U.S. political front. The nomination of former president Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for the upcoming presidential election in November, among other things, has raised concerns that a reinstated Trump administration will likely hike tariffs on China, increasing the possibility of a destructive trade war.
Now, Trump has chosen right-wing Ohio Senator JD Vance, who is known to be equally harsh on China, as his running mate. Announcing the appointment, Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday that Vance 'will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.'
Vance, who was a harsh critic of Trump earlier, became one of his most loyal supporters in Congress subsequently.
In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity on Monday, the Ohio Senator branded China the biggest threat to the U.S., giving an indication of the likely stance of Trump toward Beijing if he turns out triumphant in the election.
In response to a question about the ongoing war in Ukraine, Vance said Trump would negotiate with Moscow and Kyiv to 'bring this thing to a rapid close so America can focus on the real issue, which is China.'
'That's the biggest threat to our country and we are completely distracted from it,' Vance said.
Trump has already promised to hike tariffs on China across the board if re-elected, vowing a 60 percent tax on all Chinese imports.
Meanwhile, Biden has announced a new 100% levy on electric cars from the world's No. 2 economy.
Vance, who is married to Usha Chilkuri, a corporate litigator whose parents are Indians, had previously called for 'broad-based tariffs' on Chinese goods and advocated for bringing American manufacturing back home to reduce dependency on Beijing.
After serving in the Iraq war as a combat journalist and a public relations officer, Vance did his undergraduate course in political science and philosophy in Ohio State University, and then studied law at Yale Law School.
After a brief law practice, Vance turned a venture capitalist and also had a stint at PayPal co-founder Thiel's Mithril Capital.
At the time, Vance was a big critic of Trump. 'I'm a Never Trump guy,' he had told talk show host Charlie Rose in October 2016. 'Trump is cultural heroin. Trump's promises are the needle in America's collective vein. He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they'll realise it,' he had written in a editorial on The Atlantic in July 2016.
But later, he became a big supporter of Trump, and voted for him in the 2020 presidential election. In 2022, he won his maiden senatorial race thanks to Trump's backing.
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