‘Get ready for round 2’: Chinese social media reacts to Trump election victory

SINGAPORE: This week, the world watched with bated breath as former US President Donald Trump, whose anti-immigration campaign rhetoric included inflammatory and sexist remarks, claimed a sweeping election victory.
In China, netizens have been closely following the election and interest in Trump’s performance and sway over voters exploded online across domestic social media platforms and apps.
As vote counting closed on Wednesday, microblogging trends and hashtags dominated heated discussion among millions of Chinese internet users, who weighed in on Trump’s “luck” and his chances for success as well as a “disappointing” performance by Vice President Kamala Harris. 
The winner of this year’s election will have a sweeping impact on China as its contentious relationship with the US grows, analysts and political watchers say. 
On the Xiaohongshu app, China’s version of Instagram, the hashtag “Trump wins 2024 US Elections” hit number one with users as they reshared Trump videos and memes.
“At the ripe old age of 78, got his ear grazed (by a bullet), was prosecuted and almost jailed, appealed 60 times, and yet he still hunted for a job. Now that he has found one suitable for him,” remarked one user. 
Many also found humour in news of Trump’s victory. “Congratulations America, it’s a boy,” read a top rated comment underneath a video shared by a state news site. 
On the Sina Weibo microblogging site, where US election news has been strictly filtered by Chinese state censors, multiple Trump-related threads dominated discussion among millions of users. 
“Trump declares victory” was the top trend on Weibo on Nov 6 – reaching at least 510 million views. “It’s official, he’s back,” wrote one Weibo user in a comment that drew more than 15,000 likes. “Our condolences to you (America). Get ready for round two.”
“Putin is pleased,” said another. 
“Looks like there’s a show to watch for the next four years,” another Weibo user wrote in a comment that was liked more than 38,000 times. 
Some users expressed their disbelief towards Kamala Harris’s defeat. “I thought she would win. I thought she checked all the voter boxes and had the popular vote,” said one user. 
Another Weibo user weighed in on her performance during campaign speeches. “She was very calm and confident. She spoke with reason. I am shocked that that is not what American voters want in their next leader.” 
But one disgruntled Weibo user said: “Does it really matter who wins this election? Whatever the outcome, resentment towards us (China) will not improve so I couldn’t care less.” 
Trump’s criminal cases were not lost on Chinese social media users. On Weibo, some speculated about what he would do as president with regard to his relationship with Tesla and tech CEO Elon Musk, who has been vocal in his political endorsement and spent more than US$100 million to get him reelected. 
Alleged links to the disgraced late American financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship which Trump has repeatedly denied, were also in question among some Chinese internet users, who speculated that he would reveal names of more who were involved in Epstein’s crimes after becoming president again.  
The election will set the course for US-China relations for the next four years, experts say, with profound implications on global trade, diplomacy and businesses. 
On China’s end, the government has said that it would work together with the US following Trump’s victory. 
In a statement issued on Thursday, China’s Foreign Ministry said it “respected the choice of the American people” and shared that President Xi Jinping had extended his congratulations to Trump over the phone. 
“Mr Xi told Trump that history shows that both countries will benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation. (He) hopes that both sides would uphold principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, strengthen dialogue and communication, as well as properly manage differences,” the ministry statement read. 
“A stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship is in line with the common interests of both countries and the expectations of the international community,” the ministry added.
Chinese state media outlets, carrying regular election updates, have echoed this sentiment of caution online.
An editorial posted by Chinese state-run newspaper China Daily on Wednesday portrayed Trump’s second presidency as a potential “new beginning” for the world’s “most important bilateral relationship”.  
But US policies and “misconceptions” towards China still posed significant challenges, it said.  
“A pragmatic approach to bilateral relations is essential in navigating the complexities of global challenges,” said the China Daily editorial, also adding that Trump’s incoming administration could strengthen dialogue and communication with China to handle differences. 
The proper handling of China-US relations “not only serves the common interests of both countries but also will inject greater certainty and stability into the world”, China Daily said.