Why Chinese citizens are supporting Trump

As the U.S. election approaches, Chinese citizens are voicing their preference for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. While Trump‘s unpredictability raises concerns, many believe he would be less inclined to escalate conflict with China.

Driving the news: Despite strained U.S.-China relations, many Chinese citizens reportedly favor Trump over Harris, believing the former is less likely to start a war and could offer a more transactional approach that may benefit China. One man in his 70s told the BBC, “Although he [Trump] imposes economic sanctions on China, he does not wish to start or fight a war. Mr. Biden starts more wars so more ordinary people dislike him.” Trump supporters also dominate on Chinese social media, buoyed by the perception that he might weaken U.S. alliances, giving Beijing more room on the global stage to “make China great again.” Yang Yao, a professor of economics at Peking University, also explained in a Compact piece that despite Trump’s personal controversies, he represents values Chinese people identify with, such as a meritocratic society and traditional family values. In contrast, Harris is seen as embodying progressive American ideals that many Chinese view with skepticism. Yao added that while Trump’s erratic nature poses some risks, Chinese citizens and officials are cautiously optimistic about negotiating with him, seeing him as a potential “deal-cutter” rather than a systemic opponent like Harris.
Alleged interference in the U.S. election: While the Chinese government has not openly endorsed any U.S. candidate, a Chinese influence operation known as “Spamouflage” has been actively involved in spreading disinformation related to the U.S. election, according to social network mapping and analysis firm Graphika. The alleged state-linked campaign has reportedly leveraged thousands of fake accounts across multiple platforms to sow division and undermine both Trump and Harris. Although the operation does not explicitly support one candidate over the other, it purportedly capitalizes on existing American social and political tensions. Jack Stubbs, who manages Graphika’s research team, told Reuters that Spamouflage has “become more aggressive,” targeting hyper-sensitive political divisions with the intent of destabilizing U.S. political discourse. The campaign previously produced content mocking both Biden and Trump, with one viral TikTok video portraying Biden in a negative light reaching over 1.5 million views.

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