U.S. President Donald Trump has been in office for almost a year, and has touted his slogan ‘America First’ all over the world. Some translate that to be a message against globalization – which has been met with heavy resistance.

CGTN’s Jessica Stone reports.

For a clear contrast among the world’s major powers on the forces of globalization, look no further than this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meetings in Vietnam.

Chinese President Xi championed globalization, saying that, “Globalization of the economy has brought important benefits to the development of the world economy.”

But President Trump used his first speech at APEC to underscore his opposition to it.

“We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore,” he said. “I am always going to put America first.”

Even before he was president, Trump blamed free trade agreements for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs.

He wasn’t alone. The Netherlands’ Geert Wilders, France’s Marine Le Pen, and Austria’s Sebastian Kurz all gained influence in a populist, anti-immigrant wave across Europe. In the end, only the 31-year-old Kurz won.

Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact almost immediately after he was sworn into office.

He also accused Beijing of dumping cheap steel in global markets and violating intellectual property rights.

In 2017, Trump started renegotiating the decades-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, as well as the Korea-U.S. free trade deal.

Going into year two of the Trump presidency, NAFTA is still on the ropes, as is the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. It remains to be seen whether Washington will follow through with trade actions it has threatened against Beijing.