Why China doesn't care who wins the White House

 CNN, Oct 22, 2020

CNN)In 2016, when nearly everyone in China thought that Hillary Clinton would win the White House, one group in particular was confident of a Donald Trump victory. Back when most goods flowed from China, merchants in the trading hub of Yiwu received four times more orders for Trump than for Clinton merchandise.

This year, just as popular opinion in China is sure that Trump will lose in November, the merchants of Yiwu are back in the spotlight. They reportthat Trump is beating Joe Biden in orders, but as at least one writer points out, 2020 is not 2016.The trade war means that Americans now order their Trump and Biden stickers and signs from all over the world, making Yiwu a less reliable barometer than last time around.

The Trump years have redefined the US-China relationship from one of strategic competition to one of direct confrontation. Trump's policies mean Chinese students, journalists, and entrepreneurs no longer feel welcome in the US, and his tariffs have hurt China's export-heavy economy. (It's worth noting that many foreigners feel less welcome in China too.)

In full: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/21/opinions/china-us-election-perspective-xueqin/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29