After President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in the controversy, Gavin Newsom is one among the few candidates being discussed as his successor, a preferred end result in China.
Since Biden stumbled against Donald Trump last week, Chinese social media users have posted photos and video clips of the California state governor, who caused a stir during his visit to the world’s second-largest economy last yr.
One trimming Newsom’s post reiterating his support for Biden because the Democratic candidate was viewed 80,000 times on China’s X-like platform Weibo, with users writing that the governor has a “presidential temperament” and “the perfect resume” for the highest job.
Blogger Zheng Jun, whose account has about 3 million Followers on the web site wrote that the governor was “most willing to step in if the opportunity arises.”
So far, it’s unclear whether that moment will come soon. Biden has vowed to stay the Democratic candidate within the November vote, even when grow inside his party for a substitute.
President Xi Jinping gave Newsom an audience in Beijing last October, in his first meeting with a U.S. state governor in six years. During the week-long trip, the Democrat praised China’s success as a boon for the remaining of the Worldas he pushed for progress between the 2 sides on climate change.
“Newsom represents a fresh but also positive and more sober politician in the United States,” said Henry Wang, founding father of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank. “He could be a cool head in this anti-China US consensus.”
Newsom understands the advantages of doing business with China higher than other American politicians because California has a big economy and a Chinese-American population, Wang added.
Newsom’s visit to China got here at a difficult time for bilateral relations. The two countries are at odds over Beijing’s territorial claims on self-ruled Taiwan and Biden’s restrictions on the Asian country’s access to cutting-edge chips. Newsom managed to search out common ground by specializing in areas of cooperation.
The American remained loyal to climate change and government initiatives in the course of the Hong Kong leg of his trip – despite Calls by U.S. senators condemning Beijing’s crackdown on human rights in the town. Local officials appreciated that a U.S. politician was bringing a positive message, in line with an individual acquainted with the matter who declined to comment publicly.
In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Newsom was photographed giving a thumbs up in a BYD Co. automobile, a sector that has change into a significant source of tension in bilateral relations. Biden announced one hundred pc tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles Maywhile US authorities accuse Beijing of flooding the world with a torrent of low cost exports.
Chinese media heaped praise on Newsom’s visit. The ruling Communist Party’s Global Times newspaper quoted experts as saying called it was a “resounding success.” Another state-supported media outlet said the distinguished Democrat was a “Model“ in promoting U.S.-China relations during a visit that boosted his status abroad.
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This contrasts with criticism leveled at plenty of Biden administration officials who visited Beijing last yr to cement ties. The Global Times called Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the June 2023 visit to China “inadequate,” noting that he was not supplied with a red carpet upon his arrival in Beijing.
Newsom, 56, also attracted attention in China through accession He visited a gaggle of schoolchildren in Beijing at a basketball game, demonstrating his vitality because the 81-year-old Biden faces increasing scrutiny over his health.
Still, after the controversy, some Chinese residents expressed concern online that Newsom also had political vulnerabilities. His West Coast background was seen by some as a possible problem – California has never produced a Democratic president. Others said it could be higher for him to run in 2028 than to “sacrifice” himself this yr.
Overall, the thought of a candidate who doesn’t threaten China with huge trade tariffs and who displays a positive attitude toward Beijing is attractive to many individuals within the Asian country.
“I made it clear that I am here with an open hand, not a closed fist,” Newsom said said last yr. “I am aware of the strategic red lines in our relationship, but I am also aware that we are more than capable of managing them.”
