Netizens express mixed feelings over Hillary Clinton
Millions of Chinese showed interest in the Iowa caucuses on China's top social media site on Tuesday, but many remained intrigued by the U.S. election process.
The Iowa caucuses have been trending on Sina Weibo under the hashtag "2016 U.S. elections," garnering more than 60 million views since it was posted on Tuesday.
The Chinese public have broadened their interest from movies and music to the U.S. political system due to the deepening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, Sun Chenghao, an assistant research fellow at the Institute of American Studies of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.
Among all the candidates, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New York billionaire developer Donald Trump are the hottest topics on Chinese social media.
"As a former secretary of state and an experienced politician with a tough stand on China, Hillary Clinton is not a stranger to the Chinese people. People are more concerned that her possible rise may change the two countries' future relations," Sun said.
Trump, on the other hand, is famous for his "legendary experience as a billionaire" and "poignant comments," which makes him more an entertainer than a candidate for the Chinese, Jin Canrong, vice director of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times.
The U.S. election process has also generated considerable interest on social media, with many articles explaining the importance of the Iowa caucuses as well as introducing other candidates that are not familiar to ordinary Chinese people.
Unlike intellectuals in China who focus on the analysis of the results, most Chinese people are not familiar with the U.S. political system. The Iowa caucuses have ignited their curiosity and offered them a chance to study the system, experts said.
"Sino-U.S. relations are the main political focus of Chinese people. The Chinese are concerned about the future of the two nations' relations, and they are also curious about the future U.S. president," Sun said.
Taking aim at China
Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner, beat Bernie Sanders by a razor-thin margin.
Many on Chinese social media showed their discontent over the results, criticizing Clinton as a "woman whose eyes are fixed on a rising China."
Clinton has been taking aim at China, criticizing China's human rights record as well as supporting the U.S. rebalance in the Asia-Pacific. It's understandable that some Chinese dislike her, experts said.
"The Chinese public's concerns over Clinton's victory are unnecessary, as the Iowa caucuses are merely the start of the election process," Jin told the Global Times.
Media in China also provided extensive coverage of the caucuses and discussed the U.S. election process and the candidates' background.
China's ministry of foreign affairs also said on Tuesday it hopes that the U.S. president-elect will carry forward the policy of developing relations with China in a constructive way and make concerted efforts with the Chinese side to forge ahead with the new type of major-country relationship between China and the U.S.
For decades, the Iowa caucuses have been the start of the primary season, and the caucuses results have long been regarded as early indications of which candidates will be nominated.
While a win in Iowa can give a candidate momentum, it's no guarantee of their nomination since many other primaries are more important, Jin said.
Many candidates criticize China on democracy and human rights issues to gain support. Clinton may not be as harsh to China as she appears to be if she becomes the next U.S. president, since Sino-U.S. relations are important to both sides, Sun told the Global Times.
Some Chinese netizens also showed their support for Clinton, calling her "a model for women" and "an experienced politician with rich political wisdom."
