With Chinese foreign office making it clear that it has no interest and will not interfere in US election, diplomatic circles is buzzed to read between the lines. Beijing has clarified that the accusation that TikTok is meddling in the US election is purely fabrication.
Experts on the foreign affairs says China, Like other countries, is keenly watching the contentious presidential campaign unfolding in the United States and anxiously wondering what it means for it. Many believe Beijing may not mind another term for Donald Trump term.
Substantiating the claim, diplomats say the incumbent American President’s style of foreign policy has severely weakened America’s traditional system of alliances. While President Barack Obama concentrated on Asia, Trump has taken only occasional interest in the region, especially beyond trade and his fleeting “affection” with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
Beijing has surely noted that Trump has strained relations with America’s two closest allies in the region—South Korea and Japan. In fact, four more years of Trump might present tantalizing opportunities for China to expand its influence around East Asia and the world.
Hu Xijin, the editor of the Communist Party–-run newspaper Global Times, tweeted in May that the Chinese “wish for your (Trump) reelection because you can make America eccentric and thus hateful for the world. You help promote unity in China.” Hu added that “Chinese netizens call you ‘Jianguo,’ meaning ‘help to construct China.’”
From Beijing’s perspective, while a Democratic presidency may restore a more predictable form of American diplomacy, that may not best serve Chinese interests.