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Opinion | US presidential election: why the stakes are especially high for Asia relations and climate change
- The rhetoric of the past few years has fuelled a decidedly anti-China sentiment in the US and, if elected, Joe Biden will probably adhere to tough-on-China policies
- But at least he would work with Beijing constructively on global issues like climate change
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All eyes will be on the election results coming in from across the United States this week in anticipation of a dramatic conclusion to a wild national campaign. The expected record high turnout and historic percentage of votes cast by mail, however, foreshadow a contested outcome, and it may not be possible to declare a winner quickly.
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Uncertainty on election night will undoubtedly elicit memories of 2000’s too-close-to-call US election and the Florida recount litigation. Then, as now, culture wars were raging in the country, and large urban areas on the coasts overwhelmingly favoured Democratic candidates, while rural states in America’s “flyover country” supported Republicans.
In that pre-September-11 world, George W. Bush campaigned against “nation-building abroad” while Al Gore promoted the benefits of American investments in support of our allies and friends who welcome American assistance. This should sound very familiar to anyone paying attention this year.
There are other important parallels between this election day and 2000, but the impact of the global pandemic, as well as the consequences of the election for US policy across the Pacific and the fight against climate change, make this election starkly different.
US President Donald Trump has failed to embrace a national strategy for curbing the spread of Covid-19, eschewing science and the guidance of his advisers. His focus has been on rhetoric blaming China, referring to the virus as “kung flu” or the “Chinese virus”, and withdrawing US support from the World Health Organization, arguing that it has been corrupted by Beijing.
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Donald Trump continues to downplay severity of Covid-19 as more US officials report infections
Donald Trump continues to downplay severity of Covid-19 as more US officials report infections
Former vice-president Joe Biden promises deference to experts at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a national strategy – including a requirement that all Americans wear masks in public – and a return to global health organisations.
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