The upcoming presidential election in the United States has drawn global attention, including from the Chinese people across the ocean. How do the Chinese perceive this election? According to media surveys, Chinese people generally believe that regardless of who wins the election, the tense situation between the United States and China will continue.
One resident in Beijing told CNN, “For ordinary Chinese like us, it doesn’t matter who becomes the U.S. president, whether it’s Candidate A or Candidate B, it’s all the same.”
A social media user wrote on Weibo, “It doesn’t matter who wins. They won’t ease their containment of China.”
One possible reason for this perception is that the Chinese Communist Party has been spreading the idea to ordinary Chinese that the U.S. government has decided to contain China’s rise on the global stage.
During his time in office, Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods and initiated sanctions against Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
Under the current Biden administration, while there has been a shift in tone towards increased communication with the CCP, concerns about CCP threats to U.S. national security have deepened. The U.S. has implemented investment and export controls in the Chinese tech industry, as well as increased tariffs. It is likely that Democratic candidate and current Vice President Harris will continue this policy direction.
Therefore, it is widely believed that whether it’s Trump or Harris who takes office, the U.S. view of the CCP as a national security threat will not change.
Professor Shi Yin Hong from Renmin University of China said, “Looking ahead, regardless of whether Harris or Trump becomes the next U.S. president, the continuity of U.S. policy towards China is almost certain to outweigh any potential major changes.”
Analysis from CNN suggests that the CCP may see Trump as bringing more uncertainty and risk to the bilateral relationship, as he had previously indicated willingness to impose tariffs of over 60% on all imports from China.
It is important to note that in China, all politically-related news undergo strict censorship, so the views of ordinary Chinese are mostly based on propaganda that has been vetted, and sometimes even anti-American in nature.
CCP media has focused their propaganda on the so-called “political violence” surrounding the U.S. election.
Recently, the English edition of the state-run media, China Daily, released a cartoon depicting the Statue of Liberty being suppressed by a dragon labeled “political violence.”
Xinhua News Agency published an article about the U.S. election titled “Poll: Nearly 80% of American Voters Concerned About Post-Election Violence.” A magazine under Xinhua described the election as “hopeless,” with the final outcome determined by “invisible forces” like Wall Street.
Some bloggers occasionally post videos and posts enthusiastically hyping the potential for a “civil war” in the U.S. after the election.
However, this propaganda has somewhat backfired, as some Chinese people have seen the democratic process of the U.S. elections and contrasted it with the CCP’s one-party rule.
One social media user on Weibo said, “No system is perfect, but at least they allow people to question them.”
During this year’s U.S. election, Chinese people showed interest in the personal backgrounds of the two candidates, especially Harris.
Before Biden dropped out of the race in July, Harris seemed relatively unknown among Chinese social media users.
Since then, many posts and videos on Douyin made fun of the Vice President, mocking her laughter.
However, some posts showcasing clips of Harris’ speeches took a more positive stance, emphasizing her middle-class background and achievement of the second-highest office in the U.S. through hard work, in contrast to the CCP’s leadership mainly comprising those from privileged backgrounds.
A comment about Harris that received hundreds of likes said, “This is a story of a truly ordinary person.”
Harris once said, “When China (the CCP) breaks the rules at the expense of our workers, communities, and companies, I will not hesitate to take swift and strong action.”
The Republican platform centered around Trump promises to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status, which would make the CCP lose trade advantages with the U.S.; gradually halt imports from China of essential goods including electronics, steel, and drugs; and prevent the CCP from buying American farmland and industries.
In the last few months of his previous term, Trump even proposed the idea of decoupling the U.S. and China economically. His former trade representative Robert Lighthizer also supported a similar approach. Lighthizer is rumored to be a candidate for the next Treasury Secretary.
Harris and other Democrats hold a different perspective, believing in managing risks rather than decoupling.
Regarding the Taiwan issue, Harris stated two years ago that the U.S. would “continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo” and “under our long-standing policy, continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense.”
Trump sparked controversy with comments like “Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defense costs.” However, during his term, he made significant efforts to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan relations. After taking office in 2016, he had an unprecedented phone call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, the first official call of its kind since 1960.
(Adapted from reports by CNN)