Editor's note: John Gong is a professor at the University of International Business and Economics and research fellow at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies at UIBE. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump on August 9 released a campaign video clip in response to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's raid on his private Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, in which he said, "We are a nation in decline; we are a failing nation."

He added, "we are a nation…" to ridicule almost everything under the Joe Biden administration, from the economy to energy, and to foreign policy. Before Trump started to promote his thinly veiled 2024 presidential campaign pledge, he claimed, "we are a nation that in many ways has become a joke."

Trump shall belittle Biden, or whoever the next presidential candidate, whatever he wants. But as far as I am concerned, America is no joke on the international stage. Washington is one of the most important parties aiding Ukraine to stand up against Russia, aside from imposing an avalanche of suffocating sanctions against the latter. Washington connived, if not conspired, to make possible Nancy Pelosi's "mousey" (as per Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee) visit to China's Taiwan region, aside from stern warnings from China not to do so. Washington has just passed the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act, which could keep America's cutting-edge lead in a cutting-edge high-tech industry.

America has the world's largest GDP and is still the world's most powerful country technologically and militarily. Nevertheless, one thing I do agree with Trump is that America's global influence has substantially waned over the past couple of decades. With America in decline, the world has moved more toward a multipolar structure.

This is a time that is no longer characterized by Washington single-handedly calling the shots. Even though the cross-Atlantic alliance remains strong in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine, there exists much division and disagreement over a range of issues between Brussels and Washington. The BRICS block, representing the developing world and emerging markets, has its share of influence on a global scale. 

Regional powers, such as Turkey and Indonesia stand up to Washington occasionally. Washington's archenemies, Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, really stand up to Washington all the time. Even regarding the two oil-rich states Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, America is begging them to increase oil production.

Accordingly, Washington must behave in a rules-based international order, regardless of its tremendous economic, political and military power. This is not just my own observation, but also shared by many others, as it is so abundantly evident.

A recent poll organized by the CGTN Think Tank and the Chinese Institute of Public Opinion at Renmin University of China reveals this global public sentiment. The question was asked about the world as led by several possible structures, including: a. U.S. alone; b. EU alone; c. China alone; d. U.S. and China; e. U.S., China and EU; f. multipolar structure; and an "other" option.

The survey shows that only 6.31 percent of the respondents chose option a. Option f has the largest percentage at 34.55 percent and option e has the second largest percentage at 29.48 percent. There might be many overlapping between option e and option f. But overall, we are already in a multipolar world where the U.S., China and the EU are the three most important political forces in our world.

Now back to Trump's video clip, his campaign team is clearly applying the classic marketing gimmick to sell on fear and hope. Two thirds of the video is sparking fear, and the remaining third inspiring hope. But even if he does return to power, which I believe is unlikely, he would be inheriting a world in 2024 that is markedly different from what he did in 2016, both domestically and internationally.

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