On December 5, 2025, the Trump 2.0 administration released the new National Security Strategy (NSS). Unlike previous administrations, the 2025 NSS was published within the first year of the presidential term, reflecting the intentions and messages Washington seeks to send to the world about how it will approach major global issues.
1. When America Is Forced to Redefine Its Mission
The U.S. National Security Strategy 2025 marks a major turning point in Washington’s strategic thinking. Gone are the familiar assertions about “leading the free world,” “defending global democracy,” or “expanding international engagement.” Instead, the 2025 document returns to a foundational principle: America must be strengthened from within before it projects power outward.
The document begins with a rare admission: for decades after the Cold War, the United States pursued broad, idealized goals that often diverged from its core national interests. Extensive interventions in the Middle East, ambitions to “internationalize democracy,” expanding security obligations in many regions, and dependence on vulnerable supply chains pushed America into the 21st century with “diffused strength and an unstable foundation.”
The 2025 Strategy responds to this legacy by asserting three defining characteristics:
- A clear realist mindset: prioritizing national interests, territorial security, and strategic autonomy.
- A redefinition of the scope and limits of America’s role as an “international policeman.”
- A fusion of economic protectionism, national reconstruction, and selective strategic competition, especially in technology, defense industries, and supply chains.
2. “What Do We Want?” – Redefining U.S. National Interests
Unlike previous NSS documents, the 2025 Strategy begins by asking: What does America want? This is not a rhetorical question. Under the Trump 2.0 administration, the NSS signals the end of the era of “endless wish lists”—when the U.S. pursued objectives unrelated to its essential security needs.
2.1. Territorial Security and Sovereignty: The Top National Priority
The most striking shift is elevating border security to the same level as national defense—a first in the history of U.S. national strategy. Washington now considers migration control, anti-trafficking, narcotics suppression, and border management as national security priorities, not mere immigration policies.
In recent years:
· Illegal migration from Latin America through Mexico has surged.
· Narcotics inflow has fueled social and political instability.
· and transnational criminal groups have increasingly used U.S. borders as transit hubs.
These developments reflect a strategic shift: domestic stability is the foundation of U.S. external strength. This marks a revolutionary change in American national security after the Cold War, as Washington once used foreign interventions to ensure domestic stability—but now seeks to secure the homeland directly.
2.2. Economic Self-Reliance—”America “Must Produce Again”
The 2025 NSS views industrial revitalization as the backbone of U.S. power. It calls not only for rebuilding manufacturing but also for establishing wartime-ready strategic industries. This stems from the logic of great-power competition:
· producing semiconductors, batteries, energy systems, weapons, ships, and strategic materials domestically;
· reducing dependency on Chinese supply chains;
· turning industrial revival into the core pillar of national security.
For decades, U.S. manufacturers offshored production—especially to China. As U.S. industrial capacity eroded, so did America’s competitive advantage. China’s rise, built partly on former U.S. manufacturing bases, left Washington with diminished capabilities. Thus, reviving industrial strength—the backbone of America’s modern economy—is now a top priority for the Trump administration and likely future ones.
2.3. Technology—The Battle for Future Dominance
The Trump 2.0 administration places artificial intelligence, new energy, biotechnology, space, and digital infrastructure on par with traditional military domains. The strategy declares, “Technological competition is not merely economic—it is about power, norms, and security.”
Thus, the U.S. will:
- restrict the transfer of advanced technologies;
- promote domestic production of strategic hardware;
- strengthen public–private cooperation with major corporations;
- Use its software dominance to maintain global leadership.
3. “What Do We Have?” – America’s Existing Instruments of Power
After defining its objectives, the strategy answers the second question: What tools does America possess to achieve them?
3.1. The World’s Largest and Most Flexible Economy
Despite competition from China, the U.S. remains the world’s leading economy with:
· deep financial markets,
· the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency,
· unmatched ability to attract capital and talent,
· R&D spending exceeding that of all other major powers.
These strengths bolster U.S. confidence in confronting China—even as analysts claim America is weakening.
3.2. A Unique Defense-Industrial Advantage
The United States possesses:
- 11 aircraft carriers (more than all other countries combined),
- a global network of military bases,
- the largest radar–satellite–command systems,
- a nuclear arsenal with unrivaled deterrence capabilities.
The NSS affirms the U.S. remains the only military power able to project force globally across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.
3.3. Technological Strength—America’s Edge Over China
The Trump administration places their trust in:
- Silicon Valley,
- AI platforms,
- advanced telecommunications,
- high-precision manufacturing,
- corporations like Nvidia, Apple, and Lockheed Martin.
No country has a comparable, fully integrated tech ecosystem.
3.4. Institutional Resilience
The strategy emphasizes America’s ability to self-correct and rebuild—evident from recovery after the Great Depression, the Vietnam War, the 2008 financial crisis, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
4. Strategic Priorities: Redefining America’s Role as an “International Policeman”
One of the most notable features of the 2025 NSS is the intentional limitation of global engagement. The U.S. still seeks global leadership—but not through attempting to manage every crisis in every region.
4.1. Europe – NATO Is a Priority, but Not Unlimited
The U.S. commits to:
· defending NATO allies,
· deterring Russia,
· stabilizing the Baltics and Eastern Europe.
Yet the document subtly insists that Europe must shoulder more of the burden, echoing the principle of conditional protection.
4.2. Middle East—Important, but No Longer Central
The 2025 NSS states the U.S. no longer needs a large military presence in the Middle East. Instead, Washington will:
- prioritize counterterrorism,
- safeguard strategic energy chokepoints,
- prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons,
- act as mediator in regional conflicts.
4.3. Indo-Pacific—The New Long-Term Strategic Center
China is identified as the primary, enduring challenge. The strategy emphasizes:
- strengthening ties with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the Philippines
- reinforcing the QUAD,
- deepening cooperation with India,
- sustaining military presence in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
Notably, the document uses the phrase “responsible competition,” avoiding language of outright confrontation. This signals Washington’s intent to:
- manage conflict risks,
- secure supply chains,
- avoid a major war.
4.4. Latin America—The Southern Shield
Primary goals include:
- stopping illegal migration,
- weakening transnational crime networks,
- preventing China from expanding influence in South America.
This illustrates the new-style “international policeman”: America intervenes only when its borders, supply chains, energy, or technological advantages are at stake—while ignoring issues unrelated to national interests.
5. Strategic Philosophy: Realism with a Protective Layer
The 2025 NSS philosophy can be summarized in three pillars:
5.1. Realism
The U.S. no longer prioritizes universal ideals over national interests. This nation will not reshape the world based on American values. Washington intervenes only when its interests are threatened.
5.2. Economic Nationalism
The US must:
- produce semiconductors domestically,
- ensure energy self-reliance,
- reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains,
- protect core technologies from adversaries.
5.3. Conditional Hegemony
The U.S. will continue to lead globally, but allies must share costs, and Washington will only defend regions linked directly to American security.
Thus, the image of an “international policeman” is reimagined:
- no longer patrolling the world for ideals,
- but intervening strategically when U.S. interests demand.
6. Implications for the Global Order
The 2025 Strategy may generate five major consequences:
6.1. Deepening Fragmentation of Globalization
The U.S. is reducing investments in China, tightening tech exports, and encouraging industrial “reshoring”—accelerating the decline of hyper-globalization in favor of strategic pragmatism.
6.2. U.S.–China Technological Rivalry Becomes the Core Battleground
AI, semiconductors, quantum tech, and space systems will dominate future geopolitical competition.
6.3. U.S. Allies Must “Stand Up on Their Own”
Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Europe will likely:
- increase defense spending,
- pursue greater strategic autonomy,
- Rely less on U.S. security guarantees.
6.4. Russia Is Contained, but Not the Main Priority
Washington ranks threats in this order:
· China
· Russia
· Iran
· North Korea
· Non-traditional challenges
6.5. Southeast Asia’s Strategic Balance Shifts
The U.S. will focus on:
- Philippines,
- Singapore,
- Việt Nam,
- Indonesia.
These states form a “strategic corridor” to counterbalance China in the South China Sea.
7. Implications for Vietnam
Vietnam faces three significant trends:
7.1. Greater U.S. Involvement in the South China Sea
This creates opportunities for Vietnam to:
- enhance maritime ISR and missile defense,
- expand security cooperation.
- integrate into strategic supply chains
7.2. U.S. Priorities in Industrial–Technological Partnerships
Vietnam stands to benefit in:
- semiconductor manufacturing,
- green energy,
- aerospace and defense industries,
- AI and data systems.
7.3. The U.S. Will Expect More from Partners
Washington will increasingly demand:
- supply chain transparency,
- compliance with tech-security standards,
- reducing risks of technology leakage to China.
Vietnam must therefore navigate a delicate strategic balance.
When the U.S. Redefines Its Role as a Superpower
The 2025 National Security Strategy is the political manifesto of a confident yet cautious America—powerful but with limits. It represents a return to traditional power politics: internal self-strengthening, pragmatic competition, and conditional engagement.
The image of the “international policeman” has not disappeared—
but has evolved into a strategic policeman.
The U.S. has not abandoned the world.
but will act only when core military, technological, economic, or territorial interests are at stake.
This is the strategy of a superpower preparing for long-term competition with China while safeguarding its domestic foundations amid global turbulence.
For Vietnam—and many nations at the frontline of the Indo-Pacific—understanding this strategic shift is essential to seize opportunities, mitigate risks, and craft a durable balance in a rapidly changing international order.
