On Thursday October 31, SCMP executive editor Chow Chung-yan, China editor Wendy Wu and North America Bureau chief Robert Delaney shared their insider knowledge in a subscribers-only event moderated by managing editor for content Yonden Lhatoo.
Below is an edited version of the main questions from subscribers and the panel’s responses. To watch the webinar in full, click on the recording below.
What’s at stake for China in the Harris vs Trump US election? Full Q&A
What will a Trump victory mean for China?
Chow Chung-yan: At the risk of oversimplification, I will say that Trump represents greater uncertainty.
The Chinese officials by now are familiar with him and his style, but no matter how powerful the president is, the complicated China-US relationship requires a lot of work between officials at all levels. China actually put 28 Trump administration officials on the sanctions list. What if Trump puts someone who is on the sanctions list back into the government?
Over the past four years, China and the US have spent a lot of effort trying to build up communications. If Trump comes back, a lot of these working-level bureaucrats or officials will leave the White House, and then there will be a period of uncertainty.
So all this is going to be very difficult for the Chinese.
