Chinese state media has voiced support for a Biden presidency, saying Joe Biden would be “smoother” for the regime to deal with than President Donald Trump.
On August 19, state-run outlet Global Times ran a piece citing Chinese analysts, who said that if Biden won the election, the United States is likely to remain tough on China.
The article came in the midst of the Democratic national convention, where Biden formally accepted his nomination to be the party’s presidential candidate. Both Biden and Trump run on the platform of being tough on the Chinese regime.
On August 20, in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Biden only mentioned China once when he pledged to end the United States’ reliance on the country for medical supplies if he is elected, and instead focused on Trump’s alleged failings in handling the pandemic and smoothing the divisions in the country.
On August 19, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro criticized the Democratic convention for not mentioning the Chinese regime’s role in causing the pandemic.
Earlier this month, a U.S. intelligence agency said that the regime would prefer Biden to win the election.
The Trump administration in recent months has accelerated actions countering a range of threats posed by the regime, including its rights abuses in Hong Kong and the region of Xinjiang, security risks posed by Chinese apps and technology, and its military aggression in the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, Chinese state media has ratcheted up its rhetoric against the United States amid the deteriorating relations. State media has recently promoted the idea of war, while central authorities directed television stations to run war movies to foment nationalist sentiment.
