Donald Trump started a trade war with Beijing last time he was in the White House and he is threatening to do it again with his pledge to impose a 60 per cent tariff on all imports from China. But many Chinese people, including those with a low opinion of the US president-elect, are relaxed about the prospect of his return to power.
“I’m quite optimistic about Trump’s election. He is a businessman, and everything is profit-oriented, so that he can focus on the economy rather than on geopolitical issues,” said Wu, a 44-year-old former sales manager who has recently set up his own retail business.
“Personally, I think there is an opportunity for China. Because Trump is essentially a businessman and businessmen seek profits. No one, no company and no country can give up on the Chinese market.”
Cheng Qin, who is 64 and retired, believes that the American electorate chose Trump because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had shown themselves to be unable to deal with the political, social and economic challenges facing their country. He thinks China will face pressure over its exports, on technology and its currency’s exchange rate but expects Trump to be an effective leader.
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“The power of the American president is limited by the separation of powers and the independence of finance and journalism, and although Trump is a political amateur, he has a strong sense of mission and tenacity, and he is good at using the methods of businessmen to deal with dictatorship, terrorism and the future governance of Europe,” he said.
Ping, a 41-year-old executive at a multinational company, was not surprised by the election result but he was disappointed. He had hoped Harris would win, seeing her as a representative of women and minorities, and a stark contrast to Trump.
“He is a convicted felon, a liar and a misogynist. His policies are usually short-sighted and unconventional. He certainly knows how to incite hatred among people, and he is responsible for the great division we see today,” he said.
“But this is what the American people want, or at least what most of them want. Despite all his faults, people still believe he is a great leader, which means that most Americans either identify with him or don’t care about these flaws.”
Lei, a 31-year-old who works in an events agency, thinks Trump’s election will harm China’s trade and make it more difficult for Chinese people to study and work abroad. She compares his campaigning style to a variety show but his harsh rhetoric makes her uneasy.
“The Americans may now need such a strong leader to help the public regain confidence or a sense of superiority. Biden did not look well, giving the impression that he was not up to the job. And the United States has not yet had a female president,” she said.
Wen Yu, a 33-year-old administrator in a media company, sees Trump as a politician who, while opportunistic, really wants to get his country back on track. But she thinks he does represent a challenge for Beijing.
“China does not care who is the president of the United States. But Trump’s previous style has been extreme and in terms of China policy he will inevitably intensify efforts to implement a more severe all-round blockade and crackdown,” she said.
“China must have already done two-dimensional extrapolations of the outcome of the US election and has long since made preparations to deal with all eventualities. But it seems that Trump will first focus on domestic issues. After all, international problems cannot be resolved overnight.”
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