Chinese experts worry about Trump becoming US president but young netizens cheer him

BEIJING: Amid the anti-China rhetoric in the ongoing US presidential election, Chinese experts are extremely worried about the possible success of Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Trump is leading from the front in the anti-China charade saying that Chinese companies are stealing American jobs, and “China is killing us”.

“There is a strong chance that a Republican leadership under Trump will make drastic changes in China-US policies. He would be under pressure to implement what he has said during the elections if Trump becomes president,” Qingguo Jia, dean of the school of international studies at Peking University, told TNN.

“A certain level of relationship has been built between Chinese and US officials over the past years. Many of these officials may be replaced if the US has a president from an opposition party,” he said.

Democrat Hilary Clinton has also been critical of China because it is an emotional issue among sections of the people. Clinton also has the record of opposing several Chinese measures during her tenure as secretary of state. But Trump stands out in terms of taking the most aggressive posture.

In a rare development, Chinese Internet users, who are mostly younger people, has indicated that they do not share the same thinking as official elites on this issue.

An internet poll taken by Sina Weibo, a social media platform, shows 54 percent of the voters actually backing Trump.

This has to do with the fan following Trump enjoys in China as a dynamic businessmen and the lead player in a famous television show, The Apprentice. The show scored of 8.8 out of 10 on Chinese media review site douban.com.

His popularity has resulted in silent movements called “Donald Trump fan club” and “Great man Donald Trump”, which in turn campaign in the social media to enhance his popularity.

The rare support shown for Trump is making it difficult for Chinese experts to speak out bitterly against him.

Experts said that Trump is popular because young Chinese worship successful businessmen known for their pragmatism.

"The poll has shown Chinese netizens' discontent over the Democratic Party's policy toward China,” Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, told the state media. He said policies adopted during her tenure like the 'pivot to Asia' that led to increase in US naval presence in Asia has caused resentment against her in the minds of many Chinese, Wu said.

Chinese supporters of Trump point out that his antagonistic stance is not restricted to China. He has lashed out against other groups like Mexicans, and even called for restricting the migration of Muslims.