Trump's political humbling signals short-term gain, long-term pain for China
BEIJING — The midterm drubbing of Donald Trump's Republicans may strengthen China's hand in trade talks with Washington, but Beijing is unlikely to revel in the misfortunes of a US president whose successor could prove less accommodating. US voters angered by rising living costs, exacerbated by Trump's trade wars with China and other countries, turned on his party in Tuesday's vote, handing…
Beijing's assessment of the United States midterm election results suggests that the humiliating defeat of Donald Trump's Republicans might benefit China in trade negotiations, while also anticipating a potential shift in U.S. policies under a possible successor. The American electorate's anger over rising living costs, fueled by Trump's trade wars with China and other nations, resulted in Democrats gaining control of Congress in the recent vote.
This political setback might prompt Trump to adopt a more cautious approach in maintaining the current trade truce with Beijing, according to some political analysts. Consequently, China could use this window to strengthen its position and expand its trade relationships beyond China before a potentially less accommodating U.S. administration takes office, as suggested by both Chinese and Western analysts.
Shen Weizhong, a former Chinese Foreign Ministry official, acknowledged the Chinese government's realistic understanding that a new president could vastly differ from Trump, but emphasized that securing two more years of stability would be valuable for China's interests.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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