NEW DELHI: It appears that China's state-run media, or Beijing's mouthpiece, is like the rest of the world, in shock that
Donald Trump has been elected US President .
"For a long time, most people believed Clinton was likely to win and Trump's crazy election campaign would end at any time," an editorial in the Beijing-run
Global Times
said. "...neither the US nor the world is ready for his presidency, "it added.
If someone like
Donald Trump, "known for being a blowhard and an egomaniac", can be elected President, "there is something wrong" with the US, Global Times's editorial said.
"Trump's win has dealt a heavy blow to the heart of US politics. At the very beginning, he was despised by mainstream US media. He was known for being a blowhard and an egomaniac. But if such a person can be president, there is
something wrong with the existing political order ," the editorial added.
The Chinese government-run news outlet believes that the "most uncertainty" lies in a Trump's foreign policy, which during his campaign has swung wildly, from one extreme to another.
"The future of the China-US relationship and Russia-US ties will have a strong effect on the overall international community. Trump campaigned heavily for a focused return to US economic interests, something that might turn Sino-US relations from a geopolitical rivalry to an economic conflict," Global Times said.
The state-run media outlet seemed unsure of what a Trump administration means for China, except for the fact that "uncertainty" is writ large over the relationship.
Sino-US relations may see "sharpened conflicts of interests" but it is also possible Trump may prefer a "win-win" scenario with China like the George W Bush administration, Global Times said.
Either way, the Beijing-run mouthpiece warned that, "China needs to safeguard its interests with its own strength. If Trump wants to
target bilateral trade , he should first weigh the consequences of China's countermeasures."