Low Expectations in Beijing of Trump’s Second Coming

US President-elect Donald Trump looks on during his inauguration ceremony in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP

By Matthew Walsh

Chinese people on the streets of Beijing said Monday they were keeping expectations low about Donald Trump, as his second White House stint could push China-U.S. ties into a new era of uncertainty.

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