Only One Candidate Has Made China Part of the US Election

Only One Candidate Has Made China Part of the US Election

The issue of China has become a major line in the run up to the US presidential election in 2024, with former President Donald Trump leading the charge. Trump is hardly the first to raise alarms about China — nearly every candidate from both parties has their own gripes about the influence of Beijing — but his approach stands out for making China one of the stars in what amounts to a spectacle designed, among other things, to gin up support based on how he perceives US-China relations.

The Trump Strategy: Making China the Villain

That Trump chose to single out China is no accident: It appeals directly to longstanding concerns among a large segment of the voting population about both economic competition and national security concerning trade — issues that have dominated his time in office. Trump: By naming himself as the candidate ready to stand up aggressively to China, Trump reaches out to voters who are frustrated with what they see as an administration and past presidents who have done nothing.

He speaks frequently of lost manufacturing jobs, the COVID-19 pandemic he insists his handlers are mismanaging, and trade practices that he alleges cheat Americans. It is clearly a narrow play to the president's base but is also designed to appeal to swing voters wary about both economic uncertainty and national security. Trump's combative attitude toward China is said to play well in battleground states where many have lost their jobs or had economic disruptions.

Bipartisan Concerns But Conflicting Solutions

The Trump message has been most attention-grabbing, but it is hardly unique to his campaign. Democratic nominees and a few Republicans as well have demanded stepped-up action against China for its behavior abroad. Bipartisan concern surrounding human rights abuses in Xinjiang, military build-up in the South China Sea and espionage concerns continues to rankle.

Nonetheless, their methods of tackling the matter diverge. Democrats are more likely to embrace a cooperative strategy, where the United States works together with its allies and multilateral organizations, favoring diplomacy and values-based policy-making. By contrast, Trumpism is unilateral; with tariffs, protectionist trade wars, and military preparedness. This split mirrors deeper ideological fissures over foreign policy and national security, and it will be intriguing to see how these strategies unfold in the election.

The Media and Public Perception

The media landscape is an important factor in public perception of candidates and what they have to say about international topics. The combative tone of Trump is typically front and center in the story, making points about what his campaign considers emergency conditions ignited by China. It can easily turn into a case of the media simply reconfirming public perception, back and forth this goad.

Also, messages are really being broadcast through social media platforms and they mobilize the assistance of online activists. His campaign has put that to good use, leveraging these platforms to push content that reinforces his tough-on-China message and frequently portrays his challengers as soft or accommodating in response to the ascendant power.

Conclusion: It All Goes to US Foreign Policy

The 2024 election is, in fact, one of the main reasons why framing shifts on China afford a huge stake to US foreign policy. If Trump is elected back into office, we will get a very bullish on China view, focusing more on economic decoupling and the military presence of US in Asia. That could result in increased tension and some measure of instability in the region as both US allies and those states consider responses to the US.

Instead, if a Democrat were to be elected, we would likely see a return to a greater emphasis on diplomatic efforts seeking ways with other countries to deal with the complexities of the China relationship in coalition and engagement. The competing strategies will shape US-China relations and redraw global geopolitics as other countries adapt to the changing reality.

In Conclusion: Building the Tapestry

With the US election approaching, this obsession with China — seen largely through a Trumpian prism — is an example of how international affairs can be just as complicated as domestic politics. Both a George Will–style conservative and Jacky Rosen have China concerns, but they offer very different stories about the nature of those and polar-opposite solutions. Whoever wins the presidential election in November will determine the direction of US foreign policy and toward China, which will not only affect bilateral relations but also global stability amid an ever more interconnected world.

For the first time in an election cycle, China is not just a foreign policy issue but rather a subject that candidates on both sides must tread lightly when trying to engage with the base and solve the myriad problems associated with managing an emerging power.