China Sees Two ‘Bowls Of Poison’ In Biden & Trump

BEIJING (AP) — As the U.S. presidential campaign moves closer to a Donald Trump-Joe Biden rematch, China is watching uneasily. First, there are concerns about the campaigns themselves, where candidates are likely to talk tough on China. That could threaten the recent but fragile improvements in U.S.-China relations. Then there’s the outcome of the November vote. Neither candidate is particularly appealing to Beijing. While Biden has looked for areas of cooperation, Beijing is concerned about his efforts to unite allies in the Indo-Pacific in a coalition against China and his support for Taiwan. Trump might be more hesitant to defend Taiwan, but nothing can be ruled out given his unpredictability and his tough rhetoric on China.