New U.S. President Donald Trump could inadvertently start a trade war with China with his policies. (Photo : Getty Images)
The outcome of the U.S. elections stunned the rest of the world with the unexpected win of Donald Trump, now the 45th U.S. president, and the reverberations did not escape China, one of the world's largest economies.
Uncertainties regarding the future of U.S.-China ties are becoming more apparent in the face of a new president, who has promised to impose 45 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump also did not shy away from attacking China and labeling it a currency manipulator.
For investors, the next few months will be a waiting game.
"The U.S. has been the No. 1 destination for outbound Chinese investments. It's hard to see Chinese firms making the U.S. their first choice. At a minimum, there will be a period of wait and see," said Gloria Liu, a partner at law firm DLA Piper, in an interview with Fortune.
For a country whose recent economic efforts focus on stability, the new U.S. president does not bode well.
"Beijing tends to prefer incumbent party successors with consistent policy lines. Trump's lack of a governance track record and his unorthodox take on long-held Republican priorities could prove a headache for Chinese officials," wrote Fortune.
A Trump presidency also projects a period of uncertainties for China, according to analysts.
"China hopes the United States' future policy would be more certain because in this way, we can prepare and deal with it," Jia Qingguo, a dean at China's Peking University, told Fortune.
Some experts, however, sees a bright spot in America's new fate under Trump. A prolific real estate mogul, Trump is expected to be a "pragmatic businessman" who will be willing to deal with China.
"Any type of protectionist policy pursued will be a double-edged sword," said Ruan Zongze, a former Chinese diplomat, told Fortune. "I think he will be very careful about this."
Trump's campaign was largely hinged on the "restoration" of the U.S., luring white, working-class Americans who believe that jobs are being stolen from them by countries where labor is cheap.
"Trump's ascendancy to the White House delivers the sharpest blow yet to the forces of globalization that propelled China's rise. The world's most consequential bilateral relationship now faces an extended period of uncertainty and tension," said The Wall Street Journal.
