Yet, sources inside China and experts on the country vary wildly in their perception of how the US election is viewed in Zhongnanhai, the Chinese leadership compound. In a wide-ranging interview with the South China Morning Post , Baucus acknowledged China would be “somewhat conflicted” ahead of next week’s election. But conversations with well-placed contacts in Beijing have led him to believe China would prefer more stable superpower ties.
“I think China finds Trump a bit of a nuisance, but they also find Trump leading the US down the primrose path of decline, which obviously helps China,” Baucus said, adding any remaining reformers within the Chinese government would also be emboldened by a “restoration of the resilience of American democracy”.
