Hope and Concern as President Donald Trump Returns to the White House for a Second Term

Hope and Concern as President Donald Trump Returns to the White House for a Second Term

Beijing, January 20 – Chinese officials and the general public are both hopeful and concerned as Donald Trump returns to the White House. They are keen to avoid a repeat of the trade war from his first term, which created significant divides between the two economic superpowers.

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, in meetings with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other members of the U.S. business community in Washington ahead of Trump’s inauguration, expressed hope that U.S. companies would "take root" in China and help stabilize bilateral relations, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

During his previous term, Trump imposed tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese imports, which severely affected relations between the two countries. As a result, U.S. companies are now taking steps to avoid being hit by fresh Trump tariffs.

The mixed reactions of hope and concern from China reflect the uncertainty about how bilateral relations will unfold in the coming days.