Donald Trump’s second term in office is getting off to a good start for China.

Beijing is taking a two-pronged approach to the incoming president: trying to sweeten up Trump while also signaling it is ready to fight efforts to constrain it.

Wu, a former visiting scholar at George Washington University and the Brookings Institution, said the Trump phenomenon has deep roots in a politically polarized and socially fragmented America that emerged in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. He emphasized the importance of dialogue and people-to-people exchanges.

On the campaign trail last year, President Donald Trump talked tough about imposing tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods and threatened to renew the trade war with China that he launched during his

China pledged to accept the return of undocumented Chinese citizens in the US, after President Donald Trump threatened to hit Colombia with tariffs of up to 50% for refusing to take back deported migrants.

Donald Trump began his second presidency on January 20, 2025, prompting countries worldwide to brace for potential disruptions. Among the most watchful is China, whose leadership remains divided on how to approach another Trump term.