The End of the Post-Cold War Era: Challenges for Globalization and Free Trade

Sa？etak “Trump protectionism” intensified two questions. The first one is the question of the future of globalization and the free trade, as the dominant characteristics of neoliberalism and the post-Cold War world. For a decade now, since the outbreak of the global economic and financial crisis, the world economy and liberal democracy have been failing to solve poverty and environmental problems and find a growth model. As a result, the world is increasingly looking towards China, to which globalization and free trade have brought today’s power, and now through the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, based on investment in infrastructure and innovation, offers a way to revive the global economy. Economic poverty is causing political extremism and terrorism, which is the main security challenge for the future. United Nations and the new multipolar world are obliged to promote economic growth and political stability primarily in the Middle East and Africa, in order to tackle the issue of terrorism, ethnic conflicts and migrant crises. The second question is whether the administration of President Donald Trump will begin an intense trade and military competition with China or will keep American politics of so-called congagement, that is, military restraint over China and economic cooperation with that country. By comparing and analysing documents, comparing the phenomena and the data related to the scope and consequences of protectionist measures that have been undertaken in a recent history, especially US history and nowadays, this paper will show to what extent these two questions will affect international security as well as whether the principles of non- -aggression, mutual respect and win-win cooperation advocated by “emerging powers” countries, particularly China, will lead to a new world order