Beijing officials expressed faith in advancing understandings between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping despite viral social media reactions to Republican losses.
According to the Hindustan Times, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described the recent US midterm elections as a domestic affair during a regular briefing. Mao indicated that China intends to expand cooperation and build a relationship with the US based on mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
The remarks come as Donald Trump enters the lame-duck stage of his presidency. This follows a period of strategic stability between the two nations after a sweeping trade war in 2025 saw tariff rates reach triple digits.
While the hashtag 'Trump Total Defeat' garnered more than 70 million views on the microblogging platform Weibo, prominent voices in China expect bilateral calm to continue. Da Wei, director of the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University, said overall stability is sustainable until the end of the term, though he expects more pressure from Congress.
A Democratic-led Congress may increase oversight regarding tariff exemptions and export controls. International trade lawyer Ben Kostrzewa noted that this could subject Trump’s bargaining with Beijing to greater scrutiny, even though his executive powers limit the scope for lawmakers to dictate foreign policy.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold their third summit of the year in two weeks. This follows a trade truce extended during a previous meeting between Xi Jinping and Trump in September.
