After Super Tuesday, pundits are now predicting that in the end, it will come down to a Trump vs Clinton contest.
For better or worse, Trump is the most beguiling part of the election process. While US media ask "can Trump be stopped?" or note that "only Hillary Clinton can stop Donald Trump," the leading GOP candidate has surprisingly earned himself a few fans in China.
Trump snags the lion's share of the headlines, leaving his rivals trailing in his wake, and does so by making the most astonishing remarks. Ignoring political correctness, he called to ban Muslim people from entering the US, send ground troops into Iraq to fight the Islamic State, deport illegal Mexican immigrants from the US, and build a wall along the US-Mexico border and have Mexico pay for it.
Many of his ideas are far from heartwarming. His comments about China are not friendly, such as accusing China of stealing US jobs. In the normal run of events, Chinese people should reject an arrogant, hawkish candidate like him out of hand.
His winning streak is solid proof that US voters are tired of Washington politics. It is probably on this point that Chinese public finds Trump somewhat more agreeable. As one Chinese netizen put it, "He doesn't seem to have schemes or tricks, he sounds honest and sincere, which makes him dependable." Another commented Donald Trump is running a "naked" campaign.
The Chinese people also have had enough of US politicians' deeds betraying their words when it comes to issues concerning the Sino-US relationship. Some others prefer Trump than his competitors on the bet that he would "ruin" the US soon.
The Chinese' familiarity with Hillary Clinton doesn't mean she has made a good impression in China. She seems to be less welcomed, given her tough attitude toward Beijing, incessant accusations about China's human rights record, and her push for the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific strategy as Secretary of State.
For a woman to be elected, she has to prove to be more than a mere form. Clinton will act tougher for sure, commented a Chinese netizen.
Trump, whether he will be elected or not, has turned US politics upside down. What that will mean for the Sino-US relationship is an interesting phenomenon to be seen.