Special to the Australian Institute of International Affairs

The election of Donald Trump ushers in a new chapter in US relations with the Asia-Pacific region. As a candidate, Trump promised to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement and to impose a 45 per cent tariff on imports from China. He criticised Japan and South Korea for not spending enough on defence and expressed indifference to Tokyo and Seoul acquiring nuclear weapons.

What President Trump will do once he occupies the White House is unknowable. But the mood of the American public, and those who voted for the incoming chief executive, is known. And it may provide some insight into Americans’ expectations of their new president, especially with regard to issues affecting the Asia-Pacific.

Read more at the Australian Institute of International Affairs