Chinese Netizens Follow U.S. Election, Trending on Weibo

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris (left) faces off against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (right). (Photo composite by Xianglian Wu / Dajiyuan)

[People News] — As the U.S. presidential election approaches this Tuesday, the intense race has garnered the attention of Chinese netizens. Numerous related topics have recently appeared on Weibo’s trending list, and discussions have flooded Chinese social media.

According to Radio Free Asia, the upcoming U.S. election has sparked significant interest among domestic netizens on China’s social platform, Weibo. Analysis and updates on the election are receiving widespread attention. Although some netizens believe the U.S. election is irrelevant to China, many others are following the race with a “spectator” mindset, showing a keen interest in the outcome.

A review of U.S. election-related posts on Weibo reveals that Chinese netizens are divided in their support. Some back Republican candidate Donald Trump, while others favor Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. While preferences vary, two main perspectives dominate: some hope for a new administration friendly toward China, while others wish for an administration that would lead the U.S. to decline.

James Leung, Senior Research Fellow at the Jamestown Foundation's China Program in Washington, noted that the presence of many “spectator” comments on social media likely reflects the CCP’s control of public opinion on these platforms. “China (the CCP) has always controlled public opinion tightly, so any posts praising American democracy would likely be deleted immediately. The CCP’s central propaganda approach uses this election to highlight flaws in American democracy, suggesting that it does not truly represent the will of American voters and is controlled by powerful elites,” he said.

CCP State Media Paints Negative Picture of U.S. Election; Scholar Says It’s “Grand Propaganda”

Meanwhile, the CCP’s state media has attracted attention for its dramatic coverage of the U.S. presidential election. On Monday, CCTV used the theme “Five U.S. Presidents in a Brawl” in a post on Weibo. The article adopted a dramatic, darkly humorous tone to describe the U.S. election, stating, “The level of chaos in this U.S. election has led many to sigh, ‘I never thought I’d live to see this.’ How many surreal incidents will occur on election day and during the transition of power?” This topic quickly reached the trending list and sparked widespread discussion among netizens.

Compared to their cautious approach when discussing Chinese politics, Chinese netizens appear notably bold and active when commenting on U.S. politics.

Furthermore, most discussions on Weibo about the U.S. election tend to focus on negative aspects of the American system.

Ming Xia, a professor of political science at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, believes that these mocking and negative posts reflect the CCP’s “grand propaganda” strategy. “Wang Huning, as the head of propaganda and the united front, aims to destabilize the U.S. by pitting one side against the other. His goal is to magnify the debates and arguments within the American democratic system into life-or-death struggles, portraying democracy as nothing but endless conflict and presenting China’s system as harmonious,” Xia said.

Xia emphasized that disparaging the U.S. democratic process is a primary goal for Beijing. The FBI has noted that China, Russia, and Iran are all involved in spreading disinformation.

Leung shared a similar view, stating that regardless of who wins the U.S. election, both candidates are likely to continue competing with China and seek to maintain American advantage. Thus, rather than favoring a particular candidate, CCP authorities focus on discrediting the democratic system itself.

“China (the CCP), Russia, Iran, and North Korea all view the U.S. election with a dismissive and satirical attitude… their primary objective is to tarnish the image of democracy,” Leung said.