bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Catherine Wong

China is prepared for the likely victory of Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election next month, but is confident it will be able to handle bilateral ties whichever candidate wins, say Chinese foreign policy experts.
In the third debate between the two presidential candidates on Thursday morning (Hong Kong time), China played an even smaller role than it did in the first two debates.
Trump stuns with ‘nasty woman’ jibe and refuses to say he’ll accept election result: see how final US debate unfolded with SCMP’s commentary
Democrat Clinton criticised Republican candidate Donald Trump for shedding “crocodile tears" as he himself used Chinese steel.
“One of the biggest problems we have with China is the illegal dumping of steel and aluminium into our markets,” Clinton said.
“Donald has bought Chinese steel and aluminium. The Trump Hotel here in Las Vegas was made with Chinese steel. He goes around with crocodile tears about how terrible it is, but he has given jobs to Chinese steel workers, not American steel workers.”
Trump did not directly respond to the accusation.

Meanwhile, Trump said China’s leaders were smarter than America’s politicians.
“We are the greatest business people in the world. We have to use them to negotiate our trade deals. We use political hacks. We use people that get the position because they made a campaign contribution. And they’re dealing with China and people that are very much smarter than they are,” Trump said.
Donald Trump’s fading opinion poll ratings also take tumble among China’s English-language students
He also called for an end to US policies that supported other countries in defence.
“As far as Japan and other countries, we are being ripped off by everybody – we’re defending other countries. We’re spending a fortune doing it. They have the bargain of the century,” he said.
“All I said is we have to renegotiate these agreements because our country cannot afford to defend Saudi Arabia, Japan, Germany, South Korea and many other places.”
Trump did not, however, explicitly mention the controversial Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system that is being backed by Washington and will be deployed in South Korea.
China has strongly protested against THAAD, saying the system’s powerful radar could be used to spy on the Beijing.
Clinton vowed to ‘ring China with missile defence’ if North Korea not stopped, leaked emails say
Wang Yiwei, director of Renmin University’s Institute of International Affairs, said that while Trump’s performance had improved since his first debate, the Republican candidate was unlikely to win.
“At least this time they look like they’re having a serious debate,” Wang said. Both candidates were more focused on policy issues rather than personal attacks this time, he said.
“The important thing is that Trump represents the sentiment among the American public that they are not satisfied with the current situation,. He is not likely to win, but at least he managed to send the message across.”

Clinton is leading Trump by 9 percentage points, according to a Bloomberg survey of likely voters, which was conducted after the video leak of Trump boasting about his sexual advances on a married woman.
The video leak resulted in many Republican leaders withdrawing their support for Trump.
Clinton, now tipped as the likely winner in the election, is expected to adopt a tough stance towards China.
Infographic: USAsian vote - how 17 million Asian Americans affect US elections
The former US Secretary of State is known for her sharp criticism of China’s human rights record and her deep involvement in the United States’ strategy to rebalance itself towards Asia.
Even so, Beijing was not particularly worried about bilateral relations under a new US leadership, according to the Chinese foreign policy experts.
“The gap between the US and China has narrowed in recent years, in particular in terms of their influence in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Wu Xinbo, director of Fudan University’s Centre for American Studies.
Renmin University’s Wang echoed Wu’s view.
While the Chinese public were following news of the US presidential election very closely and much interest and curiosity, Chinese policymakers were a lot calmer and more certain about where Sino-US relations were heading, Wang said.
“We don’t care that much about the US [election politics] now. With our ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, we are not as reliant on the US as we were before,” he said.
“After all, existing cooperation will not be affected by the change in leadership.”

Jia Qingguo, professor and associate dean of Peking University’s School of International Studies, said even though Clinton was much more likely to win, he would not totally rule out the chance that Trump might still emerge victorious in the election.
“China will still prepare for both possibilities. But Hillary has a much bigger chance of winning and, of course, China is prepared if she wins.”
Familiarity and contempt: Hillary Clinton’s 21-year relationship with China
Wang and Wu said that as America grew increasingly divided from the bitter public struggle between Clinton and Trump and its “Asia pivot” lost momentum under incumbent US President Barack Obama, the resultant power vacuum gave China room to advance its regional diplomacy without US interference.
“It will take at least six months to a year before the new US president develops a full-fledged strategy in foreign policy … The current situation is favourable to China,” Wang said, citing as examples the recent warming of ties between China and two US allies in Asia – the Philippines and Japan.
Such gains in regional diplomacy would give Beijing the upper hand in dealing with the future US president, Wu said.
Why Hillary Clinton is a bigger concern for China than Donald Trump
“When we manage relations with our neighbouring countries well, it gives us an advantage in containing [America’s] ‘rebalance to Asia’ strategy,” he said. “We have to take the initiative in our diplomacy strategy vis-à-vis the US, and not be led by our noses.”
Additional reporting by Kristin Huang


Donald Trump and lawyer fined nearly US$1 million for ‘frivolous’ Hillary Clinton lawsuit

Hillary Clinton approved leaking Trump-Russia link to media, court hears

France’s Emmanuel Macron warns of ‘Trump hangover’ as he faces Marine Le Pen in presidential election

Donald Trump sues Hillary Clinton over Russian collusion allegations

US election: Trump v Clinton

Clinton likely to win, but China’s prepared for whoever becomes next US president

Chinese experts say Beijing confident of Sino-US ties no matter the outcome as it’s no longer as reliant on Washington as it was before

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 19: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (C) walks off stage as (L-R) Eric Trump, Lara Yunaska, Vanessa Trump, Melania Trump, businessman Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Vanessa Trump look on after the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tonight is the final debate ahead of Election Day on November 8. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 19: Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walks off stage as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump looks on during the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tonight is the final debate ahead of Election Day on November 8. Ethan Miller/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 19: Democratic presidential nominee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to guests after the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tonight is the final debate ahead of Election Day on November 8. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton after the third and final US presidential debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump in the background at the Thomas & Mack Centre on the campus of the University of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: AFP

Why Hillary Clinton is a bigger concern for China than Donald Trump

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton addresses a voter registration rally at Zenbo Shrine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Photo: AFP

A map of the South China Sea and Nansha Islands is on display at a national defence education center in Nanjing city, east China's Jiangsu province, 12 July 2016. China said on Wednesday (13 July 2016) that it will decide whether to declare an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea in accordance with the extent of threat. "The ADIZ is not a Chinese invention, but rather that of some big powers. If our security were threatened, of course we have the right. It depends on our comprehensive judgment," said Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin at a press briefing at the Information Office of the State Council. A white paper titled "China Adheres to the Position of Settling Through Negotiation the Relevant Disputes Between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea" was published on Wednesday, after an award was issued on Tuesday in the arbitration unilaterally initiated by the former Philippine government. Liu urged other countries not to "take the opportunity to t

Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Project on International Order and Strategy, Brookings, speaks at the “Toward a Europe Whole and Free” conference at the Atlantic Council on April 29, 2014 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN

Democrat Hillary Clinton attends the first presidential debate in Hempstead of New York, the United States, Sept. 26, 2016. Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump on Monday held their first presidential debate in Hempstead.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves at a campaign rally at the Zembo Shrine in Harrisburg, Pa. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016. (Sean Simmers/PennLive.com via AP)

US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell waves as he arrives at the Foreign Ministry to meet with Japanese officials in Tokyo on January 17, 2013. Campbell is in town to discuss regional stability amid territorial disputes with Japan's neighbours. AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

News

China

Diplomacy

Chinese experts say Beijing confident of Sino-US ties no matter the outcome as it’s no longer as reliant on Washington as it was before


US election 2016: China

Focus

Clinton likely to win, but China’s prepared for whoever becomes next US president

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Chinese experts say Beijing confident of Sino-US ties no matter the outcome as it’s no longer as reliant on Washington as it was before

Chinese experts say Beijing confident of Sino-US ties no matter the outcome as it’s no longer as reliant on Washington as it was before