China will work with the U.S. on the basis of mutual respect, it said on Wednesday as Donald Trump closed in on victory in the presidential election, but strategists said Beijing was bracing for bitter superpower rivalry over trade, technology and security issues.
“Our policy towards the U.S. is consistent,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference in Beijing, when asked how Trump returning to the Oval Office would affect U.S.-China relations.
“We will continue to view and handle China-U.S. relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation,” she added.
Chinese strategists however said they expected more fiery rhetoric and potentially crippling tariffs from Trump, although some said his isolationist foreign policy could give Beijing a vacuum to expand its global influence.
“Beijing anticipated a close race in the U.S. election. Although Trump’s victory is not China’s preferred outcome and raises concerns, it is not entirely unexpected,” said Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
“The Chinese leadership will likely strive to maintain an appearance of a cordial personal relationship with Trump, while intensifying efforts to project China’s power and strength.”
Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said Trump’s victory “may pose a relatively large challenge to Sino-U.S. relations” based on his campaign policy proposals and actions in his previous term.
“Due to Trump’s high unpredictability, I think it is difficult for China to say that there is a fully formed plan to do “x” when Trump comes to power. It also depends on what policies the Trump administration implements.”
