SCMP Opinion Piece Argues Trump's Coercive Diplomacy Damages US Global Standing

An opinion column published by the South China Morning Post contends that Washington's reliance on threats and ultimatums instead of diplomacy, particularly under Trump, produces short-term gains while causing enduring harm to America's international position. The piece opens by urging readers to observe how Washington behaves when its closest allies attempt to strengthen relationships with one another, framing this as the clearest window into how US power is actually exercised. The author asserts that the instances of such coercive conduct are too numerous to enumerate, declining to catalogue specific cases. The central argument holds that a foreign policy built on coercion must be abandoned. No individuals other than Trump are named, and no specific countries, alliances, or diplomatic episodes are identified in the text. The column appears in the outlet's world opinion section and carries no publication date in the supplied material.