At 250, the US should promote its values in Asia, not spectacle

In his farewell address, then US president Ronald Reagan advocated for the United States to do “a better job of getting across that America is freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare”. The Trump administration should follow Reagan’s advice as it designs global celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary. The US should showcase its founding principles of equality, pluralism, freedom of speech and religious liberty. It should highlight the ability to confront its own history, that the country has recognised its flaws since its inception and strives to become a more perfect union. These are the values that built enduring alliances and partnerships. Instead, US embassies and consulates across the Asia-Pacific are asking companies to collectively give tens of millions of dollars for spectacles such as America 250-themed snow and ice sculptures in Hokkaido and a Rockefeller Centre-style Christmas tree in Singapore. On the surface, it appears like a classic exercise of soft power, but soft power only works if it rides on top of a strong foundation. Since the end of World War II, Brand America reigned supreme globally. Now, China is challenging that primacy. Singapore maintains robust diplomatic and economic relations with both China and the US. Recent polling showing Brand America under strain there should cause concern for US companies beyond the city state. One in three respondents said they reduced spending on US products with US President Donald Trump in office, and nearly half said they planned to avoid American goods moving forward. The beneficiaries are brands such as BYD, Labubu and Luckin. What happens in the city state will spread to the rest of the region, and sooner rather than later. One year into Trump’s return to office, “America first” and US-China dynamics are reshaping how public affairs and public relations leaders across the region internalise the new geopolitical reality. The US turning 250 unfolds in this new dynamic. For decades, backing US initiatives abroad signalled alignment with institutional credibility and democratic principles, but the approach to this anniversary appears partisan. US embassies and consulates are aligning their fundraising efforts with US-based entities, as opposed to the past practice of raising funds themselves with the explicit understanding that the donations would be used for a single, in-country Fourth of July celebration. The US embassy in Singapore seems to be aligning with Freedom 250, a Trump-controlled group creating events and exhibits. In fact, the Freedom 250 website includes a “Great American Rodeo Toolkit – Freedom 250 Edition”, an event the embassy in Singapore is considering this year. This wave of aggressive solicitation by US diplomatic outposts is taking place in a context where Trump raised US$350 million from corporate donors for his new White House ballroom and hopes to raise more than US$1 billion for his presidential library. Companies need to weigh if their support this year will be seen as endorsing the enduring democratic values of the American people or Trump’s political machinery. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon provided a model when he refused to have his bank donate to Trump’s ballroom. He said: “We have an issue, OK, which is anything we do, since we do a lot of contracts with governments here and around the world, we have to be very careful about how anything is perceived.” The distinction between the US itself and Trump carries weight. Consider what happened at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan, where the crowd cheered US athletes but began booing when cameras cut to Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha. America’s 250th anniversary unfolds in an environment where the line between civic celebration and political gamesmanship has not just been blurred; it’s being bulldozed. The decision to donate no longer constitutes a slam dunk – especially when certain companies are reportedly donating US$1 million or more, and receiving access to the president and other perks in return. With the global spotlight now focused on these donation requests, executives must be prepared to defend their decision, regardless of how they choose – to the US government if they reject the request, or to employees and customers if they elect to give large amounts of money to Trump-linked causes. This decision needs to be justifiable, not only today but in a potentially very different world three years from now. The 250th anniversary of the US provides the opportunity to remind people across the Asia-Pacific of the country’s founding principles, which benefited both itself and the region. For decades, backing US initiatives abroad signalled alignment with institutional credibility and democratic principles practised at home. This year should not be a contest between Trump-appointed ambassadors competing to show their loyalty to the president, but rather a time to organise events reminding friends, partners and allies of the universal ideals that made the US matter to the world. Promoting generosity over solicitation and principles over pageantry emphasises America’s founding principles as its most globally enduring export. The Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, not snowmen and ice sculptures. The Gettysburg Address, not a bucking bronco. Martin Luther King Jnr’s “I Have a Dream” speech, not a skating rink. The “Shining City on the Hill” endures only with a strong foundation. The US should raise funds to reinforce it. American firms everywhere would proudly and generously give to that.

At 250, the US should promote its values in Asia, not spectacle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The star of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Asia should be its most enduring export – its founding principles

The star of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Asia should be its most enduring export – its founding principles