American President Donald Trump’s unilateral renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” will have consequences that go far beyond the region.
The executive order Trump signed on his first day back in the White House will reverberate all the way to the South China Sea, where several states are embroiled in disputes over geographical name changes. Specifically, the president’s actions may embolden China to enforce its territorial claims even more vigorously.
Beijing has been accused of unilaterally renaming disputed territories, causing other claimant states to label it as an aggressor. In the current context, China’s leadership may decide to draw parallels with what is happening between the United States and Mexico — with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responding to Trump with a (sarcastic) suggestion to rename the U.S. “Mexican America” — relegating other states to a subordinate status, akin to that of Mexico in Washington’s eyes.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.