Some Chinese officials reportedly fear a second term for Donald Trump, but their fears are not unfounded, experts tell the Daily Caller News Foundation. Ta.

Privately, officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in question appear to support Kamala Harris as president for a simple reason: Many officials say they feel Trump is more of a challenge to them. spoke He wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal in October. Specifically, Chinese officials are concerned that President Trump could start a new trade war with China or take other unpredictable actions that could undermine diplomatic norms. President Trump’s first term in office was a headache for the Chinese government. (Related: Former Obama AG sues Pentagon on behalf of Chinese military company)

Most of the experts DCNF spoke to did not take a primarily political approach to whether Trump or Harris would be more competent in dealing with China, but rather that Beijing’s approach is not one of I was considering whether I wanted to date him or not. next 4 years. These experts said it would not be surprising for China to become more cautious in the lead-up to Trump’s inauguration.

“What they know about Donald Trump, and I think this is a reasonable assumption, is that Trump 2.0 will be an extension of Trump 1.0 in terms of broad economic policy. That’s a challenge for them,” Heritage said. Steve Yates, a senior fellow at the foundation and former White House national security adviser, told DCNF. “And there is presumed continuity with Harris.” [of Biden] …They seem to think that recent years have been relatively smooth in terms of economic and trade exchanges between the United States and China. ”

Officials’ concerns have remained largely silent. China has publicly maintained a neutral stance on the U.S. election, saying it is ready to cooperate with either candidate.

“The presidential election is America’s own problem,” a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States told DCNF. “China has no intention and has no intention of interfering in the U.S. election.”

However, officials who spoke to the Journal said that before China withdrew from the U.S. presidential election in July, the Chinese government had a favorable impression of President Joe Biden behind closed doors. The Biden administration’s relationship with China has gone through a tumultuous period over the past three years, but officials felt Biden was more predictable and less tough on China.

“We had a bad experience under the Trump administration,” a senior Chinese Communist Party official lamented in a closed-door meeting with a U.S. think tank earlier this year, according to the Journal.

According to the WSJ, when Biden withdrew from the race, officials turned to Harris for no other reason than to think she was a better option for them than Trump. He said he felt it. (Related: American brands face retaliation from China if they don’t do business in areas known for slave labor)

“From the perspective of China as a whole, I don’t think there’s much merit to either candidate…But when it comes to average Chinese officials, from their point of view, I don’t think there’s much benefit to either candidate. We hope so,” said senior researcher Michael Cunningham. He spoke to DCNF at the Heritage Foundation. “I think most people in the United States and China think this way. [Harris’ approach] It will look more like Biden’s policies. ”

“If Trump were president, there would be a wider range of possibilities, some of which would take us in directions that the Chinese Communist Party would absolutely dislike,” Cunningham said.

Chinese hackers hacked into U.S. telecommunications networks and tapped the cellphone data of Mr. Trump and his deputy, J.D. Vance, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told The New York Times. report It was released on Friday. Iran was also involved in the data hack.

The Trump campaign did not reveal what information, if any, may have been stolen, but blamed Harris for allowing America’s adversaries to interfere in the American election process.

“This is a continuation of election interference by Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party, which will do whatever it takes to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House, including encouraging China and Iran to attack critical American infrastructure,” the Trump campaign said. said Steven Chan, director of communications. DCNF. “They now stand by and allow major foreign adversaries to attack us in order to help Kamala illegally because they know that Kamala represents the weak American people who will always bow down. It is.”

US President Donald Trump (C) and First Lady Melania Trump (third left) walk with Chinese President Xi Jinping (second from right) during a tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing on November 8, 2017. (Photo credit via JIM WATSON/AFP Getty Images)

One of the particular concerns about President Trump for Chinese officials is that he would launch a second trade war against China during his next hypothetical term. During his first term, President Trump imposed steep tariffs on China, angry that China exported more products to the United States than it imported, creating a trade deficit.

These tariffs increased the price of imports from China. President Trump’s goal was to encourage Americans to buy more products at home and force China to import more American products.

China strongly opposes any tariffs on exports.

“No one wins in a trade or tariff war. Restrictions and protectionism only disrupt normal trade flows and the stability of production and supply chains, which is in no one’s interest,” Embassy Spokesperson told DCNF.

Tariffs can be tricky because, if used recklessly, they can impose exorbitant costs on Americans. But if deployed in the right way, they can also be very useful tools, helping balance the scale of trade between the United States and China, says Michael, author and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Policy.・Mr. Sobolik said.

“Tariffs are a blatant policy tool in that they not only offend U.S. consumers but also inflict economic pain on the Chinese government. That said, if used correctly, they can help domestic industry supply It could also have the added benefit of encouraging people to rebuild their chains and move away from energy dependence. [China]” Sobolik told DCNF.

Many of the tariffs imposed under the Trump administration were carried over into the Biden administration. But that doesn’t mean President Trump won’t impose more tariffs if he wins a second term. He is already considering imposing 60% tariffs on China if elected, which UBS economists estimate would reduce China’s annual GDP growth by 2.5%. (Related: Exclusive: Suspected Chinese spy rubbed elbows with Democratic congressman for years)

What President Trump did with tariffs in his first term “means we could soon come up with something that no one else has thought of. It’s entirely possible because he did it first.” ” said the director of the China Policy Initiative. Adam Savitt of the America First Policy Institute told DCNF. “He will have more talented people and be better placed to immediately launch creative new policies that can withstand different pressures.”

What makes matters particularly difficult for China is its domestic economic downturn. China’s GDP has been growing at an exponential rate, but is expected to start slowing significantly within the next few years due to trillions of dollars in debt and a depressed real estate market.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference) held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on March 4, 2024. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Some Chinese citizens are scrambling to move their assets overseas. From the second half of 2023 to the first half of 2024, citizens collectively moved more than $250 billion in assets out of China. Doing so is a difficult task and often requires going through loopholes such as investing in cryptocurrencies or overpaying for imported goods.

“[China] We know we face domestic economic pressures, and if Trump returns to office, we will face external economic pressures such as tariffs and tough negotiations,” Yates told DCNF. Ta.

Experts told DCNF that considering these factors, China could become more keen on cooperation and negotiations with China. The “trade war” aspect of President Trump’s first term worked. The trade deficit initially narrowed, especially in 2020, as the value of China’s exports to the United States decreased. But that changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the U.S. and other Western countries became dependent on China for certain goods.

Savitt told DCNF that while Trump is likely to follow through on his threats, as he has demonstrated before, he is likely to follow Biden’s approach when it comes to Harris.

It’s also difficult to know what kind of international trade policy Harris will adopt, Yates said, because she hasn’t clearly articulated many of her policy positions.

“Mr. Harris’ case is a clean slate,” Yates told DCNF. “There have been some gains over the course of the campaign, but not much. [China has] I had very superficial interactions with her as vice president. It bears no resemblance to my experience negotiating with President Trump. ”

Harris’ campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

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