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| President Donald Trump cheering Americans after his inaugural speech in Washington |
News
Caution
in China, sorrow and anger in Mexico, cork-popping in Moscow – here are some of
the global responses to Friday’s power handover
Philip
Oltermann, Kate Connolly, Tom Phillips, Wang Zhen, Nina Lakhani, Shaun Walker,
Saeed Kamali Dehghan, Alexandra Topping, Sofia Fischer, Peter Beaumont and
agencies.
Germany
Germany
will need a new economic strategy geared toward Asia should the new US
administration start a trade war with China, vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel
said, warning of a “rough ride” hours after Donald Trump was sworn in.
“What
we heard today were high nationalistic tones,” Gabriel said in an interview
with the public broadcaster ZDF, in the first official German reaction to
Trump’s inauguration. “I think we have to prepare for a rough ride.”
He
added that Trump “was extremely serious” in his inauguration speech, which
meant he would follow his promises on trade and other issues with actions.
Europe and Germany must stand together “to defend our interests.”
As
the US’s new president took to the stage in Washington, hundreds of anti- and
pro-Trump protesters gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
The Guardian view on
Donald Trump’s inauguration: a declaration of political war | Editorial
Margaret
Heidhues, of upstate New York, said she had not been able to stay at home to watch
the inauguration. “I would have been repulsed beyond belief,” she said, holding
a banner stating: “The People Voted for Hillary” on one side, and “Nasty
Woman”, on the other side.
Her
nine-year-old son Theo had crafted his own poster with a digger truck on it and
the slogan “Dump Trump”.
“I
think he poses an incredible danger to Europe,” said Heidhues, who has lived in
Germany since 2000. “The populist movements of the AfD [Alternative for
Germany] and Le Pen’s [Front National] in France have been emboldened by his
victory.
“When
he was first elected, my German friends were expressing their sympathy towards
me. But now they are just as depressed, because they recognise they have to be
scared for themselves as well.”
Protesters
standing in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate voice their opposition to new US
president Donald Trump. Photograph: Michele Tantussi/Getty Images
On
Pariser Platz square, where the protesters gathered, they were faced by a line
of around 10 Trump supporters, carrying banners that read: “Trump, the better
alternative” and “Trump wants peace with Russia! What is wrong with that?”.
Sylvia
Block, a pensioner who said she was part of a group called Mothers Against War
said she liked Trump because he was a “grounded, down-to-earth personality will
would look after the American people” and who would build up American industry:
“The Americans have too much unemployment – Trump will bring their industry back
to its feet so that Americans can buy their own cars again, not import them
from us”.
The
anti-Trump protesters called their march “No to Global Trumpism”. It started at
the headquarters of the rightwing populists AfD and marched towards the
Brandenburg Gate.
“Trumpism
is not an isolated national movement”, the march organisers said in their
pre-protest blurb. “We stand united against opportunists such as Frauke Petry
and the AfD, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Nigel Farage who scapegoat and
demonise immigrants and religious and ethnic minorities to build their own
political power.”
The
demonstration was organised by a variety of groups including American Voices
Abroad Berlin, Berlin Forum on Global Politics, Berlin Ireland Pro Choice,
Pussy Grabs Back and many others.
The
protests took place on the eve of a meeting of Europe’s rightwing populists,
feeling strengthened by the Trump victory and Brexit, who are due to gather in
the central city of Koblenz in a show of strength ahead of a string of
elections this year in which they are predicted to make gains.
Wilders,
of the Dutch far-right Freedom party, and Matteo Salvini of Italy’s northern
league, are expected at the meeting. The star attractions at what has been
billed a “European Counter Summit” will be France’s presidential hopeful Le Pen
and AfD’s Petry, who are due to hold a discussion on the folly of Angela
Merkel’s refugee policy. Philip Oltermann and Kate Connolly in Berlin
Taiwan
Taiwanese
president Tsai Ing-wen congratulated Trump on his inauguration on Twitter, in a
move likely to draw objections from Beijing, which is already angry with a
protocol-breaking phone call a month ago between the two leaders.
蔡英文
Tsai Ing-wen
(@iingwen)
Congratulations
@realDonaldTrump. Democracy is what ties Taiwan and the US together. Look
forward to advancing our friendship & partnership.
China
After
Donald Trump promised in his inauguration speech to fight back against the
“ravages of other countries”, China’s Global Times, a Communist party tabloid,
said the “impressive” address signalled that the start of the Trump era would
herald “dramatic changes”.
“On
the world stage Mr Trump will likely align his foreign policy with US corporate
interests, blurring the lines of ideology or political values. Frictions
between the US and its allies, and trade tensions between the US and China seem
inevitable within the four years ahead,” the state-run newspaper said in an
editorial.
“Undoubtedly
the Trump administration will be igniting many ‘fires’ on its front door and
around the world. Let’s wait and see when it will be China’s turn.”
China’s
government and state-run media had struck a conciliatory tone on the eve of the
inauguration – “Both sides should try to be friends and partners, rather than
opponents or enemies,” said Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China’s foreign
ministry. But domestic broadcasters were forbidden from screening Trump’s
inaugural speech live, with authorities perhaps fearful it might contain more
attacks on the country’s Communist party leaders.
Instead
Xiong Tong, a Beijing-based journalist and self-declared Trump aficionado,
tuned in at home on the internet. The 32-year-old said he was overjoyed to see
the billionaire pick up the keys to the White House.
“Trump
is fantastic,” said Xiong who donned a Trump t-shirt – as well as a synthetic
blonde mop – for his celebratory late-night viewing session. “He is so real.
Thanks to him, the world is going to start heading in a positive direction.
People will become more confident, which will lead to a rise on the stock
market.”
Xiong
said he saw similarities between the US’s incoming leader and former Republican
president, George HW Bush. “Both of them are easy going and hard-working,” he
said. “They are formidable people.”
He
said he was unfazed that weeks of China-bashing by the billionaire meant he was
now part of a shrinking pool of Chinese Trump supporters. “I’m an independent
fan of his and I don’t care what others think about the man,” declared Xiong.
“I think Trump acts the same way.”
Nor
was he worried about the prospect of confrontation with the world’s most
powerful military if Trump continued to challenge Beijing from the White House,
saying: “If we start a fight with the US, beat them and conquer them, they will
not dare to interfere with our South China Sea.” Tom Phillips and Wang Zhen in
Beijing
Mexico
Most
Mexicans are torn as to who they hate more: Donald Trump for his repeated
insults and threats on trade, migration and jobs; or their president, Enrique
Peña Nieto, for trying to appease him by extraditing drug capo Joaquin ‘El
Chapo’ Guzman to the US on the eve of the inauguration, thus ensuring the
cartel boss will never pay for his crimes at home.
A
series of demonstrations are set to take place in the capital, Mexico City,
this weekend to protest against Trump’s anti-Mexico rhetoric.
In
a series of thinly veiled threats directed at Mexico, which were peppered
throughout his inauguration speech, Trump pledged to protect American borders from
the ravages of other countries, and bring back jobs, borders, wealth and
prosperity.
Peña
Nieto congratulated Trump on his inauguration, but said: “Sovereignty, national
interest and protection of Mexicans, will guide relations with the new
government of the United States.”
He
added that his government would “establish a respectful dialogue” with Trump’s
administration “for the benefit of Mexico”.
The
foreign minister, Luis Videgaray Caso, and finance minister Ildefonso Guajardo
Villarreal, will hold talks with members of Trump’s cabinet on 25 and 26
January in Washington.
Amalia
Ortiz Cortez, 31, a festival organiser, said the emotional and economic damage
inflicted on Mexico by Trump’s discourse had until now made the government look
weak, but his promised anti-Mexican policies could unite the nation for the
first time in many years.
“It
made me feel very sad but it’s now clear that the speculation is over, and he
literally means what he has said,” Cortez said. “Our government must strongly
remonstrate against his discourse in line with social consensus and re-examine
our foreign relations and trade deals
“Trump
will bring business leaders, young people and the general population together
to dialogue and I hope this will force us to become stronger as a society and
reconsider our relationships with our Latin American neighbours.” Nina Lakhani
in Mexico City
Russia
Russia
has loomed unusually large in this presidential campaign and its aftermath, and
at the Telegraph building not far from the Kremlin, a group of nationalist
activists put on an inauguration party to celebrate the victory of the man who
has come to be seen as the Kremlin’s candidate, with champagne and traditional
Russian pies for guests.
“We
started this movement a year ago when nobody believed in Trump except us,” said
Maria Katasonova, a nationalist activist who helped organise the party. “I hope
the words he said during the campaign were not just rhetoric and stick by them
as president.” She said Trump was a man, like Putin, who “fights the system”.
Army
of Russia shop window in Moscow, with an image of Trump seen on the advertising
banner. Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
However,
there were more journalists at the party than genuine Trump enthusiasts and
there was a sense that the jubilation was a little artificial. While there is
no doubt that the Russian political establishment are cautiously optimistic
about relations under Trump, modern Russia is a largely apolitical country, and
there was little sense of genuine excitement among ordinary Russians.
“We
are ready to do our share of the work in order to improve the relationship,”
prime minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Facebook on Friday.
The
pro-Trump atmosphere that was visible in Moscow was largely of a
tongue-in-cheek character, trolling the hated US “establishment” and what
Russians hope will be the end of a US that lectures them on human rights. The
Army of Russia shops in central Moscow offered all Americans 10% off
merchandise on inauguration day, while the occasional restaurant offered a
Trump burger or other gimmick.
While
there were continued denials about Russian meddling in the election, there was
also a pride in Russia’s central place in the dialogue. At the celebration, one
man wore a T-shirt with “You’ve been hacked” inscribed on it. Shaun Walker in
Moscow
Iran
In
Iran, the national television did not broadcast the inauguration live,
reporting on its news bulletin that “the new US president had begun his work
amid popular protests”. Semi-official agencies gave a scant coverage to the
event, partly due to continuing news from Thursday’s devastating fire in
Tehran.
Many,
however, followed the ceremony on the London-based BBC Persian, which is
loathed by the Iranian establishment. Watched by millions in Iran via illegal
satellite dishes, BBC Persian had its main presenter in Washington DC and aired
the ceremony in full. Iran’s state-run English language website Press TV
broadcast the ceremony. One headline on its website reflected an activist’s
view: “Trump forced on Americans by two-party system”.
Iranians
are concerned about the impact of Trump’s presidency on the landmark nuclear
agreement, struck in Vienna in July 2015. Trump told the Times this month that
he saw it as “one of the worst deals ever made” but refused to give further
details about his policy on Iran, because, he said: “I just don’t want to play
the cards”. Some analysts say he may not tear up the agreement but instead
could adopt a more rigorous implementation of the accord.
Tehran
University professor Naser Hadian told the Guardian: “Trump is an unknown
phenomenon and nobody knows how his words would translate into policies, so we
don’t know what he would do with the nuclear deal.”
According
to Hadian, Trump’s appointments so far have not been promising. “They have been
hawkish and have talked about regime change or war with Iran,” he said.
“On
the negative side, Trump is the combination of a clever mind with little
knowledge, which makes him incredibly dangerous, but on the positive side, he
is a pragmatist and a businessman.” Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Trump’s
inauguration sharply divided opinion, with rightwing pro-settlement Israelis –
whose leaders were invited to attend the ceremony – most enthusiastic.
In
a pointed intervention, Israel’s infrastructure minister Yuval Steinitz – a
close confident of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu – said he hoped
Trump would act quickly on his controversial plan to relocate the US embassy
from Tel Aviv to Washington, a plan fiercely oppoed by Palestinians who see
east Jerusalem as a capital of a future state.
“I
hope and believe that he will move the American Embassy to Jerusalem,” Steinitz
told Army radio. “It is absurd that the embassies are in Tel Aviv.”
Netanyahu
also tweeted his congratulations ahead of the beginning of shabbat.
Benjamin Netanyahu
(@netanyahu)
Congrats
to my friend President Trump. Look fwd to working closely with you to make the
alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever 🇮🇱🇺🇸
In
the Nana cafe in east Jerusalem, however, the clientele watched the
inauguration with a mixture of bafflement and concern over the fact the US had
elected Trump while warning of the consequences of moving the embassy.
Moussa
al-Bitouni, 53, father of the cafe’s owner said : “From what I hear he is not a
man of peace. We does not want to support peace. This is not in our interest or
the interest of the US. I was 100% for Clinton. I never thought America would
elect Trump.”
“We
want him to be fair, not biased,” added lorry driver Faraj al-Joulem, 42. . “We
are against moving the US embassy. It will inflame the whole region.”
Israel’s
newspaper columnists were split, however, about what Trump portends, while
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement posted in his name on the
official Palestinian news agency Wafa, congratulated Trump. He added: “I look
forward to working with him for the sake of peace, security and stability in a
world that is troubled and in a region that lives a tragic era, and to
contribute to creating a safe future for everyone.”
UK
Before
Trump had even arrived at Capitol Hill disgruntled Britons – including Green
party joint leader Jonathan Bartley – had unfurled a banner reading “Build
bridges not walls” across London’s Tower Bridge , while others held up a sign
saying “Act Now”.
“We
won’t let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold,”
said protest organiser Nona Hurkmans. Other banners were draped over
Westminster Bridge during a protest outside parliament.
British
prime minister Theresa May did not send wishes to Trump before his swearing in,
but leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn urged him to put the “misogyny and
the racism” of his presidential campaign behind him. Speaking at an event in
Glasgow, Corbyn said he hoped that as president he would reach “out to all
communities across the United States” and called on him to promote “critical
engagement” with Russia.
A
banner unfurled on Tower Bridge in London as part of the Bridges Not Walls
protest against US president Donald Trump. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA.
The
foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, tweeted his congratulations to both Trump and
the vice president Mike Pence, but the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron,
called Trump’s journey to the White House “the most divisive, vulgar and
illiberal presidential campaign in memory” before calling on May to stand up to
Trump.
Protests
against Trump also took place across Scotland. Hundreds marched from the foot
of Edinburgh’s North Bridge to the US consulate on Regent Terrace to coincide
with Trump being sworn in.
Protesters
were armed with banners with wording including: “Love Trumps Hate”, “No to
racism, no to Trump” and “Hey Donald, I hope you step on a lego.”
The
demonstration organised in the Scottish capital by Stand Up to Racism saw
hundreds of people chant slogans such as “Donald Trump go to hell – take the
KKK as well” and “Donald Trump, go away – sexist, racist, anti-gay”
Trump
was welcomed by some rightwing politicians, including Ukip’s Nigel Farage, but
Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the former UK ambassador to the US, questioned his ability
to unify the US and stand up to Russia. “The really big test is over Russia and
Nato,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “Over the next few months, you
are going to have to see whether a harder edge comes into his approach to
Russia, and whether he is prepared to validate a sense of commitment to Nato
and to Europe.”
Downing
Street is trying to arrange for May to travel to meet the new president as soon
as possible, with speculation that a visit take place within days. Alexandra
Topping
France
In
a small bar in Paris’s Ménilmontant neighbourhood, Trump’s speech was relayed
on a giant screen. As he gave the pledge, a 20-something sighed and said:
“Well, there goes America.” But another regular chipped in: “I hurt for the
American people. Half of the population didn’t vote for him. They’ll have to
endure the next few years.”
One
of the waiters doubted that Trump could fulfil many of his election promises
“What is he going to do?” he said. “Send all the immigrants back? Line them up
against a wall and shoot them?” A survey on Friday showed that more than 80% of
the French population had a bad or very bad opinion of Trump. Some are anxious
that his electoral success increases the chances of victory for its own
anti-immigrant nationalist leader, Le Pen, in elections this year.
The
president, François Hollande, did not mention Trump by name during a press
conference in eastern France, referring instead to “my colleague taking the
oath” and criticising the protectionism that Trump advocated. The French
president has previously said that Trump’s victory “opens up a period of
uncertainty” that “must be faced with lucidity and clarity”. Sofia Fischer in
Paris
Canada
Canada’s
government, eager to sidestep potentially protectionist US policies, said it
was confident Trump would see that working closely with Canada benefited both
nations. “We are confident the new administration will see that Canada’s
partnership with the US mutually strengthens our two nations and provides real
opportunities to grow our respective economies,” Joseph Pickerill, spokesman
for foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement.
Prime
minister Justin Trudeau also issued a statement congratulating Trump.
“Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated
economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs,” he said.
Reuters
Credit: theguardian
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