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WASHINGTON— Donald Trump storming back into the White House after a decisive electoral victory against Vice President Kamala Harris this week can be troubling news for China. Think ➡️ tariffs, trade war and disruption.
But Beijing anticipated the win and is already adjusting its posture to it. In the Middle East, China does not have much to worry about when it comes to Trump’s priorities, likely to be dominated with raging conflicts from Israel to Yemen and a hostile relationship with Iran. Those factors grant China an opening when it comes to international diplomacy and expanding its ties in the Middle East.
Donald Trump’s win on Wednesday may have shocked many across the world, but not China. Chinese officials closely tracking the 2024 election saw his rise in the polls even before the infamous debate with Joe Biden last June.
💬 A journalist in Beijing told me on condition of anonymity that China has been anticipating Trump's victory and didn’t pay much attention to Harris until after her debate with the former president in September. Harris won that exchange, prompting Beijing to reach out to the Harris campaign.
This view helped China prepare for a second Trump presidency.
Accordingly, CNN reported that President Xi Jinping quickly called Donald Trump on Wednesday to congratulate him. Trump had described Xi as “brilliant” and expressed admiration in how China’s strongman “controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist.”
At the same time, Trump has been promising steep tariffs and trade restrictions on Beijing, both of which could further imperil China’s fragile economy.
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