Beijing
China would prefer Kamala Harris over Donald Trump as the next US president, a senior member of China’s national advisory body said on Thursday, citing the sharp deterioration in bilateral ties during Trump’s presidency.
Jia Qingguo, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), expressed this view on Thursday, noting that China refrains from commenting on the US presidential election to avoid being accused of interfering in American domestic politics.
‘The general public in China has divided views on Harris and Trump, but I would prefer Harris because of the bad experience with Trump. We do not want to have that experience again,’ Jia told the sources, highlighting the serious confrontations that marked the US-China relationship during Trump’s term.
Jia noted that Kamala Harris, having worked under President Biden, represents continuity. He characterized Trump as ‘quite emotional’ and responsible for spreading negative information about China. While acknowledging that there are issues with the Biden administration as well, Jia suggested that Biden has inherited difficult policies initiated by Trump for domestic political reasons.
‘Under Biden, the US policy towards China is more stable and predictable,’ he added, mentioning ongoing re-engagement efforts and regular dialogue between officials from both countries, which he believes stabilizes relations.
Trump’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese exports and threats to raise tariffs further if re-elected has raised concerns in Beijing, especially given China’s current economic slowdown. Last year, US exports to China were valued at around $148 billion, while Chinese exports to the US exceeded $500 billion.
