It seems the be explicit US policy to force people to choose between China and US.

This seems to come from the US obsession with hegemony as the only strategy ( without realising that only works for 1 out of 200 countries ) - everything is framed as a US/China tussle for top dog.

Note this isn't a purely a Trumpian thing - he is just being more open/less subtle about it.

The US has to realise that it's days of global dominance are coming to and end - just as the UK had to ~100 years ago. What I hope is this time we won't have a couple of world wars during the transition to a multi-polar world.

The interesting bit is that Trump and many of his supporters seem (to me) to be openly working to bring an end to US dominance and promote the likes of China to the top spot instead. The US got its global power by being relatively undestroyed by WWII, and thus both willing and able to pay to rebuild the rest of the world, while performing some very sneaky currency and political manipulations. Now the US wants to cut off our allies and strengthen our enemies.

You have to differentiate what countries leaders know and the general population knows.

I'd argue that leaders in South/Central America were under no illusions of how the US operated - the fact that Trump does so openly doesn't really change that. The 'great game' goes on.

What's changed is the wider public perception - both home and abroad. The question is will that create political pressure for a change.

For example, the new openess of the US-Israeli agenda in Gaza and the West Bank and elsewhere appears to have really shifted the political landscape domestically in the US in terms of unconditional support for Israel. The US self image is potentially shifting - this could have much bigger domestic implications.

Likewise aboard, while the current US hostility to China is not a suprise to the leadership in China - it's a continuation. The view of the US in the general population in China will be shifting, which will potentially create political change in the response.

Now I'm not sure Trump understands he is potentially squandering that soft power, because he lives a bubble which applauds the strongman messaging - and let's face it - he has won 2 elections on the back of it.

That for me here is the real risk - people shifting from thinking they were the good guys ( even if that was not entirely true ) to accepting they are out for themselves - and how that then effects both domestic and foreign policy over time - will US society fragment with people being ever more isolated domestically and as a country abroad?

It is the US and its recent actions, including its rhetoric, that are driving people towards China.

Also, only reacting to US aggression after Greenland is attacked? Not prepare at all and then write a strongly worded letter after the fact?

If, after everything Trump has done, you still think he isn't serious about annexing Greenland then you and people like you, including the eurocrats, are truly hopeless.

Or to put it another way - is the binary US/China choice as top dog a false one?

I suspect most countries would prefer a multi-polar world where the majority is dominant ( democratic ), not one particular country ( autocratic ).

ie why do we have to choose to be under the heel of the US or under the heel of China?

The US has been playing the benevolent dictator role for the last 70 years, but when faced with losing the dictator role, the benevolent facade is dropping.

The US is mistaken to think that countries not wanting US dominance is the same as wanting Chinese dominance - they, in fact, want neither.

The global south would argue that there’s been nothing benevolent about pax americana.

How are those Chinese infrastructure loans going in Africa and South America?

They're leading to a bit more prosperity (albeit awfully uneven) and relative peace. Trade is a lot better than war.

They’re pretty good as far as I know, my country didn’t receive any of those but I’ve visited countries in Africa that have received them and they’re getting really great infrastructure and knowledge sharing from them!

China picked up a 99 year lease on Hambantota Port for one Chinese firm in Sri Lanka after they defaulted to the tune of 51Bn.

Zambia defaulted during the pandemic.

Ethiopia defaulted in 2023.

Ghana suspended payments on most external debt to try and make the Chinese debt payments in 2022/2023.

Pakistan just keeps rolling those loans into other loans so it won't default.

Loas got so bad China now owns their power grid.

Suriname defaulted in 2020.

Kenya stopped paying govt workers for awhile to make their loan payments.

"Recent reports from the Lowy Institute and the World Bank indicate that 75 of the world's poorest countries face a record high of approximately $35 billion in debt repayments to China in 2025 alone."

2026 will see more countries default to be pressed into extreme measures to make the payments.

Ok, and? What does that have to do with the USA invading deposing couping 90% of countries in south america, starting wars in the middle east, and saddling all of africa with debt via the IMF and WB?

I guess it comes down to who you your government wants to be in debt to, and if you're willing to potentially starve to death so your government can pay off the loan.

You’re the one drawing an equivalency between USA and China where there is none

Everybody works for someone.

I reject that framing