World alarmed by Donald Trump’s policy proposals

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Connecticut Convention Center on April 15, 2016 in Hartford, Connecticut. (AFP photo)

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has caused concern around the world by his contentious comments about foreign policy and trade.

The bombastic real estate mogul has called into question some of the cornerstone of US foreign policy for decades. 

He has suggested that NATO is “obsolete” and that Japan and South Korea should obtain nuclear weapons to boost their ability in deterring regional rivals like North Korea.

Trump's nuclear remarks 'absurd'

A North Korean official said Trump’s comments on nuclear proliferation were “absurd and illogical,” CNN reported on Sunday.

“The US tells us to give up our nuclear program, is preparing a nuclear attack against us, and on the other hand would tell its allies to have nuclear weapons. Isn't this (a) double standard?” Ri Jong Ryul, deputy-director general of the Institute of International Studies in Pyongyang, said in an interview granted to a CNN team.

“Trump's remarks give us deeper look at America's hostile policy against my country,” Ri said. “Simply put, America's hostile acts against us are making the situation on the Korean peninsula worse.”

Kazuhiro Maeshima, professor of politics at Sophia University in Tokyo, said Trump's rhetoric was “a bluff based on unrealistic views.” He added that a Trump presidency would “create confusion” and “carries the risk of triggering a major turning point for the Japan-US alliance.”

Trump 'irrational type'

Meanwhile, Trump’s proposed trade policies toward China has angered the country’s finance minister, Lou Jiwei, who called the GOP frontrunner an “irrational type,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei (AFP photo)

Trump has advocated slapping up to 45 percent tariffs on Chinese goods in order to force it to change its trade policies.

Lou told the Journal that such tariffs would violate the US obligations under the World Trade Organization. He predicted that the US and China would both lose in the event of a trade war.

“Our economic cycles are intertwined,” Lou said. “We have a lot more in common than sets us apart.”

Lou's criticism was a departure from the usual reticence of Chinese officials on US presidential campaigns.