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By Our Reporter

After swearing-in as the 47 President of the USA on January 20, Donald J Trump issued several executive orders, which is sure to impact the world besides the internal politics of the USA.

He decided to terminate US relationship with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and he also signed a withdrawal from the Paris climate treaty, including a letter to the United Nations explaining the withdrawal.

These two decisions will impact the entire world, as the USA has been the biggest contributor to these organsiatioins.  Now the fight against climate change impact will be weak while the WHO supported health programmes will also be affected.

Likewise, the termination of the citizenship rights by birth will affect many including Nepalis, who have reached the USA and have given birth to babies hoping to get US citizenship.

Trump also pardoned about 1,500 people who stormed the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, in a sweeping gesture of support to the people who assaulted police as they tried to prevent lawmakers from certifying his 2020 election defeat.

He also signed orders declaring illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency, designating criminal cartels as terrorist organisations, and targeting automatic citizenship for US-born children of immigrants in the country illegally.

Trump also signed an order expected to suspend the US refugee resettlement programme for four months.

Regardless of several executive orders with two directly related to the world including Nepal, there will be no significant change in the USA’s Nepal’s policy. Trump is likely to give continuity to the existing policy towards Nepal as well as India and China, the two close neighbours of Nepal. America’s relationship, approach and interests towards Nepal are often permanent, so the original policies and objectives will continue. Thus, it is unlikely that Trump’s Nepal policy will be fundamentally different from Biden’s and even Obama’s. Former President Barack Obama followed the “Asia Pivot” policy giving special priority to Asia, while Trump also continued the priority of this policy and released the Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2017 and Biden also continued it.

The United States has a permanent geopolitical and strategic interest and interest in Nepal. Due to the fact that China is challenging from economic, commercial and military points of view, the US has been giving special importance to countries including India, Japan, and South Korea in Asia for the long-term purpose of controlling Chinese influence. Trump’s priority will also be Asia and Asia, especially China and India. Trump may take a policy to be closer to India and have more conflict with China.

However, in the meantime, Trump may begin his international tour by visiting China as his speeches hinted. If so, the US and China relationship may improve, and this may reduce the geo-politic interest of the US in Nepal.

Trump’s policy may also discourage the Nepalis, especially the youth from flying to the USA as visitors and students and staying there permanently.