A world adrift looks to China for institutional anchors. Enter Hong Kong

The international order is under mounting strain. In recent years, unilateralism, protectionism and the selective application of international law have eroded confidence in the rules-based frameworks that once underpinned global cooperation. The return of Donald Trump to the centre of American politics, along with the policy instincts the US president represents, has only reinforced concerns that the United States may continue to privilege narrow domestic calculations over international responsibility.This is not merely a matter of style or rhetoric. From tariff escalations and extraterritorial sanctions to military interventions in open disregard of multilateral norms, Washington has repeatedly undermined the global order and, at times, international law, deepening the instability of an already fragile global order.The effects are cumulative. Over the past year, the US has further retreated from international commitments and organisations. The January 7 Presidential Memorandum, titled “Withdrawing the United States from International Organisations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States”, ordered US withdrawal from 66 organisations and UN agencies. It also said Trump’s “review” was “ongoing”.