Asian leaders “Are Happy About the Midterms” because they expect or hope that the results will lead to an end of the war on Iran, which “has been particularly challenging for the United States’ Asian partners and allies.” The Council on Foreign Relations cites Asian reliance on Persian Gulf gas and oil. Possibly, some leaders of the countries being bombed by Iran want the war to end for that reason as well (November 5, 2026).
Another consequence of the election may be that a Trump-delayed arms sale to the Republic of China will finally go through.
Relieved Taiwanese officials quickly noted after the elections that the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has strong bipartisan support in Congress. (Even before the midterms, in September, the bipartisan Senate Taiwan Caucus had urged Trump to move forward with $14 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, which the island would pay for itself.) The White House had recently taken a soft approach toward China, a position that was unpopular with some Republicans and many Democrats. The new Congress will likely put more pressure on the Trump administration to take a clearer and tougher approach on a range of issues, including Chinese artificial intelligence and export restrictions.
On the other hand, “the forty-seventh president is nothing if not unpredictable.”
The CFR author predicts that the hopes of Asian leaders for altered U.S. foreign policies will or will not be disappointed.
