China Reacts to Trump's Stunning US Election Victory

By That's, November 9, 2016

It's official: Donald Trump has secured enough votes to claim victory in the 2016 US Presidential Election.

The stunning upset over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has already made shockwaves around the world. Asian markets have been hit hard, though not nearly as hard as the Dow Index, which plunged 800 points as the results started coming in. In Greater China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 2.2 percent while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.6 percent.

China has of course been eyeing the election closely, with Xi Jinping congratulating Trump over the phone and saying:

“I place great importance on the China-U.S. relationship, and look forward to working with you to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released an official statement shortly after the race was called for Trump:

"China looks forward to working with the new US government to promote bilateral relations for the benefit of both countries and the world."

In a commentary on the election, Xinhua's Zhu Dongyang wrote:

"[Clinton and Trump] succeeded in revealing the darkest side of the political system Washington intends to impose on the rest of the globe."

Zhu also casted doubts on Trump's ability to govern, saying:

"His ability to deliver the kind of change his proponents desire is very much in doubt, not to mention whether the billionaire really means to deliver on what he has promised."

Global Times columnist Mei Xinyu, however, was more optimistic towards Trump (at least in relation to Sino-US ties):

"From a comprehensive view, it would make it easier for China to cope if Trump is elected. This is because under the policy line advocated by Obama and Clinton, the political and military frictions between China and the US will be more frequent...
"More importantly, if Trump takes office, it will probably create a chance to end the "self-damaging competition" between China and the US, where the leaders have adopted improper policies and measures in order to gain advantage in international competitions even when they know these policies will fundamentally erode social cohesion and the potential for sustainable development of their nations."

An editorial on the Global Times' Chinese site, meanwhile, blamed US news outlets for the outcome, arguing that "America's media have … deliberately misled voters."

Others poked fun. Parody Twitter account @relevantorgans used the result to mock the demise of the US dynasty: