World
China officially 'doesn't care' about Trump win; unofficially, experts say Beijing is rattled
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — The official response from Xi Jinping’s communist China to President-elect Trump’s victory was formulaic.
“Our policy towards the U.S. is consistent,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “We will continue to view and handle China-U.S. relations in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful co-existence and win-win cooperation.”
National Taiwan University Department of Philosophy professor Yuan Juzheng returned to Taiwan from a trip to China on Monday, where, he noted, nearly everyone he met with wanted to talk about the U.S. election. He told Fox News Digital a Trump win is a “worst-case scenario” for Beijing. China experts, as well as Chinese citizens online, believe the next four years under President-elect Trump will almost certainly worsen already strained ties.
During the campaign, Trump made it abundantly clear he would adopt a tariff-based approach to trade with China. Professor Yuan explained that China had “not been prepared psychologically” when, around 2018, President Trump hit huge Chinese companies such as Huawei with tariffs.
TAIWAN REACTS TO TRUMP’S THEY ‘SHOULD PAY US FOR DEFENSE’ COMMENTS
China’s President Xi Jinping and President-elect Trump. (Getty Images)
But this time around, Yuan says, China knows how much such policies will hurt, and they will come at a time when China’s domestic economy is not doing well.
“Three key issues will continue to dominate the U.S.-China relationship. They are the three T’s — trade, technology and Taiwan,” Zhiqun Zhu, a professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University, told Fox News Digital a few hours before Trump’s stunning triumph became official.
On Wednesday, Taiwan President William Lai wrote on X, “Sincere congratulations to President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your victory. I’m confident that the longstanding # Taiwan – #US partnership, built on shared values & interests, will continue to serve as a cornerstone for regional stability & lead to greater prosperity for us all.”
Taiwanese Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, also via X, added, “I join President Lai in offering my congratulations to President Trump, VP-elect Vance, and the American people. Looking forward building a strong Taiwan-US partnership, for freedom, peace, and economic prosperity.”
The Taiwanese public has had mixed views about the U.S. election. Some here find Trump’s often brash and blunt personality unappealing. One recent poll showed over 50% of the Taiwanese preferred Harris to Trump. However, many Taiwanese have also said they viewed Trump as potentially “better for Taiwan,” mostly due to an expectation that he will take a hard line on China. That expectation is shared on the other side of the Taiwan Strait.
Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Ross Darrell Feingold, a Taipei-based lawyer and commentator on local and regional politics, is among a small group of Americans living in Taiwan who are active on TouTiao, a Chinese information platform owned by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. With over 150 million daily users, TouTiao could be likened to a hybrid of Facebook and X.
On the Sunday before the U.S. election, Feingold posted a question on TouTiao that was finally allowed to be published after some rewording due to China’s strict internet controls.
“As a Chinese person, do you think Trump or Kamala Harris will be more harmful to China-US relations?” he wrote. ENCIRCLING TAIWAN WAS A SMOKESCREEN FOR CHINA’S REAL GOAL OF CONVINCING US NOT TO INTERVENE, EXPERT SAYS
A Hong Kong police honor guard raises China and Hong Kong flags during a ceremony in celebration of the 75th National Day of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong on Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
More than 30,000 people viewed the question, and roughly 5,500 provided a variety of answers that included some direct support for Democratic nominee Harris, whom Chinese netizens have given the nickname “Ha Ha Sister,” a reference to the vice president’s exuberant laughter.
Feingold, however, noted the near unanimity in Chinese netizens’ comments that the U.S. is hostile toward China and doesn’t wish to see it rise to its rightful place as a global power.
“Based on the comments I received on TouTiao, the public in China seems to think the U.S. — led by a leader from either party — would seek to restrain China’s growth,” Feingold told Fox News Digital. He added that it can be difficult to determine whether internet comments reflect genuine personal opinions or are merely the parroting of ideas from China’s state-run media. Overall, Feingold says, the Chinese public has begun to take American policies personally, interpreting them as being directed at ordinary Chinese people rather than critiques of the governing Chinese Communist Party.
Honor guards raise a Taiwanese flag at the Presidential Palace ahead of the National Day celebration ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo)
Zhu, the Bucknell professor, laid it out starkly in comments to Fox News Digital, saying, “While over 80% of Americans surveyed view China negatively now, the positive Chinese views of America have also dropped. … What is different now than a few years ago is that many Chinese, including liberals in China, have become more critical of the United States… and believe the U.S. is not welcoming Chinese students, tourists and businesspeople.”
Zhu noted that some states such as Florida have cut virtually all cultural and educational exchanges with Beijing.
Japan, which also has a tense relationship with China, offered its congratulations to Trump on Wednesday. Barron’s quoted Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba as saying he hoped the countries’ alliance would move “to new heights” during Trump’s second term.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, supervises artillery firing drills in North Korea on March 7. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In a post on X, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol both congratulated and praised Trump, writing, “Under your strong leadership, the future of the ROK [Republic of Korea]-U.S. alliance and America will shine brighter. Look forward to working closely with you.”
And despite the views of some that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un would welcome the return of Trump to the White House, there was no immediate official comment from the so-called “Hermit Kingdom.” But North Korea “fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern sea” hours before the U.S. election on Tuesday.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
World
Trump evacuated from White House correspondents’ dinner after shots fired
BREAKINGBREAKING,
The US president was escorted out from the event at a Washington DC hotel by his secret service agents.
Published On 26 Apr 2026
United States President Donald Trump has been evacuated from the White House correspondents’ dinner in Washington, DC, after shots were fired outside the event.
The evacuation on Saturday evening came after gun shots were heard outside the hotel ballroom where Trump and the first lady had been sitting ahead of the annual media event.
Trump hailed the United States Secret Service and local enforcement after the incident in a post on Truth Social.
“They acted quickly and bravely,” Trump said.
“The shooter has been apprehended, and I have recommended that we “LET THE SHOW GO ON” but, will entirely be guided by Law Enforcement. They will make a decision shortly. Regardless of that decision, the evening will be much different than planned, and we’ll just, plain, have to do it again.”
Footage from the scene showed Trump and attendees taking cover behind their table after shots rang out, as people yelled “Get down!” and “Stay down!”
Trump was then rushed away from the scene by Secret Service agents, after which heavily armed agents surrounded the table.
Al Jazeera producer Chris Sheridan said he heard what he believed to be five gun shots outside the ballroom.
“We could smell the powder. We immediately dove to the ground. It was directly behind me,” Sheridan said.
Weijia Jiang, the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, told the media that the programme would resume and that more details will be provided soon.
More to come…
World
Trump hosts crypto contest winners at Mar-a-Lago as his coin languishes
World
Latin American leftists met in Spain, signaling push against US influence on continent
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MEXICO CITY: The recent high-profile gathering of leftist leaders in Barcelona, convened by Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, is drawing increasing attention for what analysts describe as a broader geopolitical positioning that could challenge U.S. influence across Latin America and beyond.
The summit brought together Brazil president Lula da Silva, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum. Framed as a platform for addressing inequality, climate change and the rise of right-wing political movements, yet the rhetoric coming from it has raised questions in Washington and across the region about whether a more coordinated political counterweight to the United States is taking shape.
Without naming the Trump administration, Sánchez warned of the “normalization of the use of force” and “attempts to undermine international law”, as criticism of U.S. foreign policy. He also pushed for reforms to global institutions, arguing that the current system no longer reflects today’s geopolitical realities, a position that implicitly challenges long-standing U.S. leadership in those bodies.
WALZ RIPS TRUMP AND VANCE IN EUROPE, SAYS ‘FEEBLE-MINDED, TRIGGER-HAPPY PRESIDENT’ HAS NO EXIT PLAN FOR IRAN
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez take part in the 4th Meeting in Defense of Democracy, held at Fira Barcelona Gran Via in LâHospitalet de Llobregat, where he welcomed the attending delegations and underscored the need to strengthen international cooperation in defense of democratic values in Barcelona, Spain on April 18, 2026. The event included the greeting of heads of delegation and the traditional family photo, ahead of the start of the leadersâ meeting. Among those attending were South African President Cyril Ramaphosa; Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; and Colombian President Gustavo Petro. (Lorena Sopena Lopez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The Barcelona summit reflects a deliberate effort by Pedro Sánchez to position himself as a leading figure within an emerging progressive bloc that is increasingly critical of U.S. foreign policy under President Trump,” Juan Angel Soto, founder and CEO of Fortius Consulting told Fox News Digital.
“This positioning is particularly complex given Spain’s structural anchoring in both the European Union and NATO, which traditionally align it closely with Washington. However, Sánchez has simultaneously deepened ties with the Global South, evident in his growing proximity to China, as well as to leaders such as Lula, Sheinbaum, and Petro, suggesting a dual-track foreign policy that seeks greater autonomy from U.S. influence,” Soto said.
The Colombian leader tied global tensions directly to economic and energy systems, arguing that fossil fuel dependence has fueled conflict and inequality, an argument that aligns with broader criticism of Western-led economic models.
Roberto Salinas León, Director of International Affairs at Universidad de la Libertad in Mexico City, told Fox News Digital: “The ill-named summit “In Defense of Democracy” held in Barcelona brought together notable “progressives” with an aim to bring together a global contingent opposed to, well, Trump 2.0. How convenient.”
TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez shake hands before their meeting in Beijing, China September 9, 2024 (China Daily via Reuters)
“Petro stated that ‘Latin American progressivism is a ray of hope for a humanity in crisis.’ Yet these would-be spokespersons for democracy have supported such inhumane brutal dictatorships like Cuba, Nicaragua, Maduro’s Venezuela, Iran, and others. This gathering is more aptly characterized as a political mascara of electoral autocracies, each leader undermining the institutional checks and balances of open liberal democracies,” he said.
Brazil’s Lula criticized what he described as interventionist policies by major powers and called for a rebalancing of global governance, including changes to the U.N. Security Council. At one point, he characterized recent U.S. leadership as contributing to global instability, reinforcing a central theme of the summit: that the current international order needs to be redefined.
President Donald Trump, center, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, second from left, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Costa Rica’s President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Bolivia’s President Rodrigo Paz and Chile’s President-elect Jose Antonio Kast pose for a family photo during the Shield of the Americas” Summit in Doral, Fla., on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
“The new Cold War is being waged between China and the United States; it is this very rivalry that is at stake in every country participating in the summit. Lula’s concern regarding the resurgence of the right has become patently obvious, particularly when observing Argentina and Chile, where the victories of Milei and Kast have ushered in ‘winds of change.’ We are, quite literally, living through times reminiscent of the fall of the Berlin Wall, specifically, the collapse of ‘21st-century socialism’ across Hispanic America, and this is precisely what has them so worried,” Brazilian political analyst Sandra Bronzina told Fox News Digital
“When the global progressive left rails against the United States, talking about sovereignty and peace, or speaking out against war, they are not doing so out of mere altruism or good intentions. Rather, they are driven by a shadowy self-interest: ensuring that China continues to colonize our nations, a process that is, evidently, already well underway.”
‘AMERICAS COUNTER CARTEL COALITION’: INSIDE THE US STRATEGY TO COMBAT NARCO TERROR, CONFRONT CHINA, OTHER FOES
Mexico’s Sheinbaum underscored the principle of national sovereignty, reiterating Latin America’s longstanding emphasis on non-intervention. She joined other leaders in opposing sanctions on countries such as Cuba, signaling a willingness to coordinate positions that diverge sharply from U.S. policy in the region.
Taken together, analysts say the messaging out of Barcelona suggests the early stages of a loosely aligned bloc, one that is increasingly willing to challenge U.S. positions on global governance, regional policy and economic strategy.
Chile elected right wing leader Jose Kast as president. (Juan Gonzalez/Reuters)
Yet even as leaders in Barcelona warn of a rising right-wing threat, political realities across the Americas tell a different story, one that may resonate more directly with U.S. audiences.
In Argentina, sweeping economic reforms focused on deregulation and fiscal discipline have captured global attention as an alternative to state-led models. In El Salvador, aggressive security policies have dramatically reduced violence. And in Ecuador, a renewed focus on law-and-order and institutional control is emerging as a response to escalating cartel violence.
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Analysts say these examples highlight a counter to the Barcelona narrative in that a significant portion of the region is moving toward policies centered on security, market reforms and stronger state authority — priorities that often align more closely with U.S. strategic interests.
Experts say the contrast is striking. On one side, a group of leaders in Barcelona is calling for a rethinking of global systems long associated with U.S. leadership. On the other, governments across the hemisphere are experimenting with approaches that emphasize economic liberalization and strong security measures.
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