Author: Michael Schuman
Affiliation: Time
Organization/Publisher: The Atlantic
Date/Place: July 7, 2020/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1729
Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/07/why-china-wants-donald-trump-win/613864/
Keywords: China, Trump, Presidential elections.
Brief:
The article analyses the Chinese expectations for the upcoming US presidential election. The author discusses with references as to why China will have a close eye on the voting polls in November and what results suit them best. Many Americans believe Trump to be the one who actually confronted China and its policies on multiple occasions; he not only imposed tariffs on Chinese trade but also slapped heavy sanctions on some of China’s most important firms and officials. All this to ensure that China “plays fair,” as far as trade is concerned. However, the Chinese (quite opposite to expectations) believe that Trump is their best bet, as they have high hopes of expanding their influence around East Asia and the world with Trump as president. There are strong reasons for the Chinese to feel comfortable with a leader like Trump, and certain instances during his present reign validate that fact. According to the former national security advisor, John Bolton, Trump supported his counterpart Xi Jinping on the concentration camps for Uighurs, saying that it was the right thing to do. Trump was also reluctant on China’s crackdown of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. He once called the protests “riots,” thereby completely standing in line with the Communist party. The Democrats on the contrary would play by international norms and gather support against China in the region. As long as Trump is not an ideological adversary and plays outside international norms, China would love to see him back in power.
By: Usman Khan Pathan, CIGA Research Associate
