[ad_1]
There is no official line on which of the presidential candidates in the US elections the Chinese communist regime prefers. But the election is in the best interest of the world’s second-largest economy. The United States and China are interacting economically intensively, and under the Trump regime, relations have drastically deteriorated.
Trump has started a trade war with China, provoked the regime by regularly calling covid-19 the China virus, and is launching a fierce attack on Chinese companies. Among other things, it has banned Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from participating in the US expansion of the fifth-generation mobile phone network.
So should it be clear that China wants to see a new president in the United States? A less irrational and easier to read president.
Well, it’s not that simple.
first Biden won’t be particularly soft on China either if he takes over as America’s leader. Gone are the days when the United States believed that increased contacts and cooperation with China would develop the country in a democratic direction.
– Both candidates are very tough in their attitude towards China and criticize each other for being too weak against China. Therefore, I believe that the relationship between China and the United States will remain a great challenge regardless of who becomes president, says Wei Zongyou, a professor at the Center for American Studies at Fudan University.
In some ways, even China could be under more pressure if Biden becomes president, according to several observers. While Trump has chosen to abandon international cooperation and act tough against traditional partners such as the EU and Japan, Biden has stated that he intends to reconnect with allies to increase pressure on China on issues such as the level playing field. market and human rights.
– When we join forces with other democracies, our strength will more than double. China cannot afford to ignore more than half of the world economy, Biden said.
It could be a challenge for China, according to Wei Zongyou.
– Biden wants to build an allied union against China, it can be difficult. China can become an enemy of the whole world, he says.
Another reason Chinese nationalists want Trump to remain in the presidency is that his policies, in their view, point to the strengths of China’s authoritarian rule and the weaknesses of a democracy.
“I support Trump because Trump can deeply harm America. This is good for China,” writes, for example, an anonymous member of the Zhihu discussion forum.
Chinese propaganda has been quick to comment on how poorly the United States has handled COVID-19, explaining that the political system in the United States is in shambles.
On social media it has come so far that Trump has been given the mocking nickname “Chuan Jianguo”, more or less “Trump helps build China.” The spirit is that Trump is, in fact, making China “great” and not the United States.
– From the party’s point of view, Trump is a rolling advertisement for how bad democracy can be, says Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister of Australia with close contacts in China with the New York Times.
James Green, who previously worked with US policy in China and was an official at the US embassy in Beijing, believes that strategically, several in the Chinese leadership prefer Trump to stay. The reason is that when Trump chooses to withdraw from international cooperation, opportunities open up for China to address them.
– When Trump breaks agreements and withdraws from international relations, China sees it as an opportunity to make new friends, says James Green.
An example is how China entered the World Health Organization (WHO) with more money, two billion dollars, when the United States decided to leave the organization.
At the same time, a change in the presidency, according to Green, would be welcomed by those charged with day-to-day diplomatic work. Most expect Biden to be easier to read than Trump, who one day praised Xi Jinping, even loved him, for raising tariffs and accusing China of misleading the United States.
With Biden at the helm, there is hope to be able to facilitate a dialogue and openings for cooperation on issues such as climate and health. Biden, for example, has vowed to break Trump’s decision to abandon the Paris Agreement.
In the presidential election campaign Trump intimidates voters by saying that Biden will be soft on China and pursue a policy that will ultimately lead to China “owning” the United States.
But criticism of China transcends the party line in the United States, and Biden has stepped up China’s rhetoric in his campaign. Among other things, he has called Xi Jinping a “gangster” and vowed to put more pressure on China on issues such as the treatment of ethnic minorities, such as the problem of the millions of Uighurs who have been sent to labor camps in Xinjiang.
In terms of human rights, Trump’s commitment is seen as minor. It is true that under Trump, the United States has imposed sanctions on various individuals and companies involved in the Xinjiang camps. But privately, Trump is reported to have told Xi Jinping, former security adviser John Bolton writes in a book, that he believes the regime has handled Muslims in Xinjiang in a good way.
Regardless of who becomes president, few see a thaw between countries.
– China and the United States no longer trust each other and the relationship may get even worse in the future, says Wei Zongyou.
