washington less three months office president donald trump abruptly shift stance array foreign policy issue u.s. relationship russia china value nato alliance trump run white house pledge shake status quo washington repeatedly lash china campaign accuse beijing grand champion currency manipulation candidate trump also dismiss nato military alliance obsolete say hop build warm tie russia white house news conference newspaper interview wednesday offer starkly different view issue say relationship moscow sour tie beijing improve also lavish praise nato say adapt change global threats say obsolete long obsolete trump say stand news conference alongside nato secretary-general jens stoltenberg white house east room wednesday reversals russia nato could reassure u.s. ally europe rattle trump overtures toward moscow campaign president talk bond chinese president xi jinping could sow confusion asia u.s. ally fearful rise china trump apparent shift toward conventional foreign policy come amid infighting within administration lately see decline influence political operatives mainly chief strategist steve bannon six months ago candidate trump suggest eager alliance russian president vladimir putin say great things go say great things trump say last september all-time low wednesday however trump say grow concern russia support syrian president bashar al-assad may all-time low term relationship russia say trump order fire u.s. cruise missiles syrian airfield last week punish assad suspect use poison gas syria civil war criticize russia wednesday trump say xi bond chinese president visit mar-a-lago resort florida din together wive hold talk ahead visit trump predict difficult discussions trade improve tie beijing underscore trump tell wall street journal interview wednesday would declare china currency manipulator pledge first day office trump former real estate developer take office january government novice whose foreign policy mantra vow keep america safe build u.s. military christine wormuth former undersecretary defense obama administration say trump steep learn curve foreign policy come office begin even start nuanced deep understand lot issue say wormuth senior adviser center strategic international study evolve trump foreign policy appear reflect less influence campaign team view defense secretary jam mattis secretary state rex tillerson national security adviser h.r mcmaster deeply skeptical russia trump former national security adviser retire general michael flynn force resign feb. 13 contact russia ambassador unite state trump take office new tone foreign policy come trump try settle palace intrigue inside white house bannon former chief conservative breitbart news organization odds mainstream jar kushner senior white house adviser trump son-in-law interview new york post tuesday trump offer lukewarm support bannon like steve remember involve campaign late trump say abrupt shift trump warm china nato sour russia