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What could Biden’s divided United States mean for China?

  • The president-elect could suffer a backlash at home if he veers too far from the ‘America first’ policies popular among Trump supporters, analyst says
  • While China could feel more confident on the global stage, it may not mean closer bonds with other countries, according to observers

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Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in front of the US Capitol building in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

Beijing can expect American social divisions to play into the next US administration’s policies on China, diplomatic observers said as Chinese state media kept up its portrayal of the United States as “messed up” and “torn apart” society.

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The rifts were highlighted on Xiakedao, a prominent social media account run by staff from the overseas edition of People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s mouthpiece.

“The riot on Capitol Hill reveals a divided American society and endless political polarisation,” Diao Daming, an associate professor in international relations at Beijing’s Renmin University, was quoted as saying.

“The biggest problem the next administration will face is how to respond to a torn America.”

The assessments came in the aftermath of Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol building by supporters of US President Donald Trump, part of an effort to block the certification of Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s presidential election win.

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