{
  "id": 3017888,
  "title": "China’s view of Trump’s America has changed from alarm to a shrug",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/chinas-view-of-trumps-america-has-changed-from-alarm-to-a-shrug",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T12:30:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3364449/chinas-view-trumps-america-has-changed-alarm-shrug"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China's perspective on former US President Donald Trump's second term has shifted from deep concern to a more measured outlook. Over the past decade, Chinese officials and scholars have observed this transformation. Four key aspects now represent a shared consensus among Chinese scholars. Firstly, Trump is weakening America's alliance system; his first term caused panic in Washington and his second is tearing down the house. He has purged the civil service, expanded executive authority, taxed allies and adversaries, and reduced American contributions to global public goods. Secondly, hostility towards China is bipartisan in Washington, but Trump's approach comes with a price tag. When tariffs reached 145 percent on Chinese goods, American industries complained, inflation rose, and the White House eventually negotiated a truce. This suggests Trump's tough stance is a negotiation tactic rather than an ideological crusade. Thirdly, pressure has been an ineffective substitute for containment. The 2018 trade war frightened Chinese businesses, but by 2026, attitudes had shifted. Sanctions often strengthen the entities they aim to prevent. Chinese chipmakers expanded their production of mature 28-nanometer technology, and domestic software for chip design now holds a quarter of the market. Fourthly, the real competition is in governance, and time is working in China's favor. While America leads in technology and firepower, policy changes with each election. China's five-year plans tend to endure, and its industrial scale and policy continuity are narrowing the gap. China has shifted from being a rule-taker to a rule-shaper, building alternatives to Washington-led institutions and advancing its own vision of \"common prosperity\" and national rejuvenation. China's industrialization, particularly in green energy, AI, and space exploration, has been remarkable. Despite caveats like weaker capital markets and some manufacturing gaps, China believes coexistence and competition without conflict is preferable to confrontation.",
  "summary": "There is no shortage of Western commentary on US President Donald Trump’s second term. What’s missing is an honest account of how 1.4 billion of us in China see it – or at least how China’s officials and scholars do, since that’s who I can speak for here. I’ve spent a decade watching that view change, from real alarm in 2017 to something closer to a shrug today. Four things now count as consensus…",
  "key_points": [
    "China's view of Trump's America has shifted from alarm to a shrug.",
    "Trump weakened America's alliance system and expanded executive authority."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "China’s view of Trump’s America has changed from alarm to a shrug",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/chinas-view-of-trumps-america-has-changed-from-alarm-to-a-shrug-3022521",
        "published": "2026-08-24T12:30:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}