WASHINGTON - Leaders across Asia on Wednesday sent their congratulations to former President Donald J. Trump, whose victory in Tuesday’s U.S. election makes him only the second president in American history to win a second non-consecutive term of office.
Trump had secured the rare comeback by early Wednesday morning, with the Associated Press calling the result after his victory in the key swing state of Pennsylvania pushed him past the 270 electoral college votes needed to defeat his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Congratulations began to trickle in as the result became clear, with leaders of key U.S. allies in Asia among the first to welcome the return of a president whose last term in office was marked by his friction – and then friendship – with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
East Asia
In a post to the social media platform X about an hour before the AP election call, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol offered his congratulations to Trump, who has stridently defended his friendly approach to North Korea’s supreme leader.
“Under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK-U.S. alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you,” wrote Yoon, using an acronym for the South Korean government.
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Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te likewise welcomed Trump’s return, in spite of the former president’s pledges of extensive tariffs against the democratic island to curb its dominance of the microchip industry.
“Sincere congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your victory,” Lai said in a post on X. “I’m confident that the longstanding #Taiwan-#US partnership, built on shared values & interests, will continue to serve as a cornerstone for regional stability & lead to greater prosperity.”
Taiwan Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said the island’s government “will work together with the new U.S. administration and Congress to create a new situation in Taiwan-U.S. relations.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who himself came to power only last month, also congratulated the former president on his victory.
“I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on Mr. Trump’s victory, and also pay my respects to the democratic choice of the American people,” Ishiba told reporters, according to a report from Reuters.
“From now on, I would like to work closely with Mr. Trump, who will become the next president, to bring the Japan-U.S. alliance and Japan-U.S. relations to a higher level,” the prime minister said.
There was no official word from Chinese leaders, but Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing would “continue to view and handle Sino-U.S. relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation.”
Trump has pledged large tariffs against all imports from China – threatening rates as high as 60% on all Chinese imports – in order to protect America’s manufacturing sector.
Last month, he also said he believed Chinese President Xi Jinping would not dare to invade Taiwan if he won back the White House, “because he respects me and he knows I’m f***ing crazy.”
Southeast Asia
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed Trump’s victory and said that he hoped the “unshakeable alliance” between Manila and Washington would continue to “be a force for good, blazing a path of property and amity in the region, and in both sides of the Pacific.”
“President Trump has won, and the American people triumphed, and I congratulate them for their victory in an exercise which showed the world the strength of American values,” Marcos said. “I have personally met President Trump as a young man, so I know that his robust leadership will result in a better future for all of us.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim congratulated Trump on a “remarkable political comeback and victory” and said his return brings renewed opportunities” for collaboration and shared purpose.”
Meanwhile, Cambodian’s long-time prime minister and now Senate president, Hun Sen, took to Facebook to attribute Trump’s victory both to his opponent’s gender and also the Biden administration’s support of Ukraine and Israel in their wars against Russia and Hamas.
“American society is not ready to take women as its leaders, even though the United States is the father of gender democracy,” Hun Sen wrote, adding that “Trump’s victory shows that Americans love peace rather than having an outright war in Ukraine and Israel.”
Hun Sen’s son and current prime minister, Hun Manet, was more diplomatic in his message of congratulations for Trump, who became the first president since Grover Cleveland in the late 1800s to win two non-consecutive terms.
“This great victory is a true testament to the trust and confidence that the American people have in your leadership,” he said. “Under your wise leadership, I am confident that the indispensable U.S. role in promoting stability, security and prosperity will be further strengthened.”
In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who once said he would deal with Trump “with trepidation” and that “he scares the s**t out of me” – also offered his congratulations.
“Australians and Americans are great friends and true allies,” Albanese said in a post on X. “Working together, we can ensure the partnership between our nations and peoples remains strong into the future.”
Edited by Malcolm Foster.