Chinese bid farewell to Trump
Key words for president: destructive, selfish, populist, untrustworthy
As the end of Donald Trump’s presidency draws nigh, thousands of Chinese netizens have commented and interacted with a Global Times post that asked them to describe the controversial outgoing US president and his contentious tenure in a few key words or phrases, with the overwhelming consensus one of negativity and mockery toward the 45th president of the US.
Experts and journalists reached by the Global Times also gave their thoughts on the eve of the inauguration of Trump’s successor, presidentelect Joe Biden.
While they expect a much steadier administration, many admitted that it would not be as entertaining or interesting. Others warned that the effects of Trumpism will cast a shadow as Biden attempts to rebuild shattered US relations and heal a nation in turmoil.
The most common words and phrases mentioned under the Global Times posts include destruction, dishonest, selfish, populism, McCarthyism, unilateralism, protectionism, antiglobalization, untrustworthy, messy, crazy, arrogant, uncertainty, low- credit, funny, laughable, gravedigger of US hegemony, and enemy to pro- US sycophants. As of press time, the online quiz has received about 700 comments and 3,000 likes on Sina Weibo.
Chinese experts
He has blocked the trend toward integration between China and the US, turning the certainties of both countries into uncertainty.
Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University
said it is unlikely many will make many compliments or positive comments regarding Trump, whether in China or in the US, because the changes that he has made to the US, China- US relations and international relations have been largely negative and destructive, and his governance has caused unprecedented and irreversible consequences.
But some journalists covering international politics and China- US ties have mixed feelings about him because they no longer need to stare at his Twitter feed 24/ 7 in case of shocking tweet storms. The flip side is that Chinese journalists have lost a treasury and a comical window to observe US politics directly.
President of destruction
Many who commented on the Global Times post mentioned the word “destruction” in connection with Trump, as he has destroyed and broken many established rules, constructions, agreements, deals, and ties with other countries, and especially he has damaged the soft power and image of the US.
A web user said in a comment with more than 500 likes, “He just uncovered the dark side of ‘ democracy’ in capitalist countries for us. So the sacred presidential election is actually full of fraud and cheating.” Another joked, “Why didn’t they let him be reelected? Then he can probably become the last president of the US.”
Chinese experts have summarized Trump’s legacies in the aspects of politics, economy and foreign affairs. He further divided American grass roots and establishment elites, failed to realize the promise of getting manufacturing industry back to the US from overseas, caused “posttraumatic stress disorder” to US- led alliances and made China- US ties worsen to the brink of a new cold war despite the administration launching no war, they said.
Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, said that Trump represents a division of the US and a resurgence of McCarthyism regarding the international stage, especially toward China.
Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, summarized the Trump administration as one of “subversive destruction” in general and “fundamental regress” when it comes to China- US ties.
“He has blocked the trend toward integration between China and the US, turning the certainties of both countries into uncertainty,” Li said.
“During his presidency, China- US ties reached the lowest point in [ modern] history. Any worse situation would be unimaginable, so this could be good news for the future, because no matter what changes Biden is to make, they will at least be better than Trump’s policies,” said Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.
“Although Trump has wrought some damage on China, the losses he inflicted on the US are much greater. Trump has brought unprecedented destruction to the legal legitimacy and moral legitimacy of the US,’ Lü noted. “The huge damage to the credibility of the country will seriously undermine the US’s status as a leader of the Western world.”
Mixed feelings
Some Chinese netizens are still trying to have some fun on the last full day of Trump’s presidency. Comments under the Global Times’ online quiz include phrases describing Trump as “Comrade Jianguo” and “undercover agent of the Party.” Jianguo literally means “build the country,” but in this case, they mock that Trump is doing his best to build up China to the detriment of the US.
These words refer to a popular meme on Chinese social media that says Trump is “an agent sent by China to win the election in 2016 and disrupt the US to make it as messy as possible, so China can distract US suppression against China and win the competition easily.”
“If American media, officials or people learn about this meme, they should not be surprised and angry, as this is the sense of humor of Chinese people to ease the pressure and anger against the US amid the unprecedented hostility from the Trump administration. The majority of us don’t like Trumpism at all, and we hope the Biden administration can fix [ bilateral] ties,” said a Beijing- based journalist on China- US relations.
In a survey conducted by the Global Times, 31.7 percent said they believe Biden will bring certain opportunities to ease China- US tensions, with 28.5 percent pessimistic about the new US administration, and 39.8 percent found the situation unclear.