Trump’s victory intrigues Chinese public

Donald Trump's consecutive victories in US presidential primaries have not only made him a headline in Chinese media, but also have sparked fierce discussion of this controversial political figure among the Chinese public. Trump has been a hot topic in China ever since the US presidential primaries started on February 1. Online discussions hashtagged "US election" have garnered more than 42.2 million views as of press time. Most posts are dedicated to Trump's second victory in South Carolina on February 20, while Hillary Clinton, who is also a well-known political figure among the Chinese public, seems to have been outshone by her Republican rival. Trump has also generated considerable interest among the Chinese media, which has published many articles explaining the New York billionaire developer's political stance and analyzing his unexpected success. "Trump has not only intrigued intellectuals in China, but also ignited ordinary people's curiosity, though their focuses are quite different," 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 ordinary Chinese people, Trump is famous for his "legendary experience as a billionaire" and "poignant comments about China," which have presented him as more of an entertainer than a candidate, Jin Canrong, vice-director of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday. Some Chinese Net users have shown their support for Trump, with one Sina Weibo user saying, "Trump is truly an inspiration for me. His business sense and confidence always keep me in awe." Others have expressed opposite opinions, criticizing him for his "ridiculous accusation of China." Despite mixed reactions from the public, Trump's TV reality show The Apprentice I has a score of 8.8 out of 10 on Chinese media review site douban.com. Meanwhile, the hashtag "helping Uncle Trump hit the headlines" has garnered more than 7.9 million views on Sina Weibo as of press time, with most posts focusing on Trump's controversial comments and personal life. "Trump's celebrity status and prominent media exposure have made him famous among the Chinese, who care more about his personal life than his political stance," Sun said. Intellectuals in China, on the other hand, focus more on the unexpected success of Trump than on Trump himself, since his popularity in politics has surprised many scholars, who believed that a big-mouthed candidate could never win such a high rate of support, experts said. "Trump's success has offered Chinese scholars a new angle from which to study the US political landscape and explore the country's election system," Sun said. "It's also easier for scholars to use Trump as an example to explain complex ideas such as the US election system to the public, since Chinese people consider him one of the most famous and interesting candidates," Sun added.