- Title: For China, Trump win creates uncertainty
- Date: 10th November 2016
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (FILE - MARCH 5, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINA'S FLAG BEING RAISED ON TIANANMEN SQUARE PORTRAIT OF MAO FLAG ON POLE TIANANMEN SQUARE
- Embargoed: 25th November 2016 09:57
- Keywords: China Trump Donald election victory
- Location: TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, BEIJING, CHINA
- City: TAMPA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00857V1VEV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Donald Trump's shock election victory on Wednesday (November 9) has cracked open pressing strategic and economic questions in U.S.-China ties, as Chinese leaders prize stability in relations between the two powers.
Trump lambasted China throughout the campaign, drumming up headlines with his pledges to slap 45 percent tariffs on imported Chinese goods and label the country a currency manipulator his first day in office.
China has stayed diplomatic following the result announcement. China's Commerce Ministry spokesman, Shen Danyang, said he believed the benefits in the relationship would triumph over any divisions.
"As the development of a globalised economy deepens, the fields in which China and the U.S. conduct mutually official exchange are getting larger and larger, the foundation is getting stronger, we've already got to the 'you will always have me, I will always have you' stage of beneficial exchange. We believe that no matter who is elected as the president of the U.S., China U.S. mutual benefit will triumph over differences and divisions," he told journalists at a regular news conference on Thursday (November 10).
But Trump's unpredictability is not an ideal election outcome for China's stability-obsessed Communist Party, especially as it seeks smooth U.S. relations at a time of daunting reform challenges at home, a slowing economy, and a leadership reshuffle of its own that will put a new party elite around President Xi Jinping in late 2017.
While many U.S.-China relations experts like Shi Yinhong believe that much of Trump's China bashing was bravado aimed at bringing in the votes, overall, having him as President did not bode well for China.
"I can't predict this early exactly which policies he might enact that may damage China-U.S. trade or financial relations or the Chinese economy and its finances. But one thing is very clear, if he doesn't undertake any major measures that damage China-U.S. economic and trade relations and doesn't undertake any major measures that damage China's economy or finances, then he is not Trump," said Shi, who heads the School of American Studies at Renmin University.
Those on the streets in Beijing's university district took a relatively calm outlook on the future of relations between the world's two largest economies.
"If the U.S. tries to put economic pressure on China, China has the ability to deal with these problems, they totally have the ability to deal with this pressure that's not a big problem, the main thing is to see how those at the top of the Communist Party decide to deal with this attitude of his," said 22 year old student Deng Hai.
"Every U.S. President will protect his interest, I think he said those things about China to get votes in the end it doesn't matter whether it's China or another country, in the end he will still protect America's interests," said 30 year old entrepreneur Li Zhiliang.
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Donald Trump on winning the U.S. presidency, state TV reported on Wednesday, telling him the two biggest economies in the world shared responsibility for promoting global development and prosperity. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
