A sweeping victory for Democrats in U.S. midterm elections this week, giving them control of Congress, presents both an opportunity and challenge for top rival China , analysts say.
Here is how the outcome of the vote, which offers the Democratic Party the power to stymie President Donald Trump’s maverick foreign policy, could impact the thorny relationship between Washington and Beijing: Winning control of both houses in the U.S. Congress puts Democrats in a position to limit Mr. Trump’s liberal use of tariffs on Chinese products in the two years he has left in office, analysts say.
Congress will be “less inclined to support measures that would sharply escalate pressure on China if doing so risks raising costs for American consumers and businesses or increasing the likelihood of conflict”, said Patricia Kim, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
Congress will “take every opportunity to thwart (Mr. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. Alternatively, for China, renewed support of Taipei from the U.S. Nevertheless, Thompson pointed out, while Congress can pass bills requiring Mr.
Trump’s policies) over the next two years”, said Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at the S. But a Democrat-controlled Congress “may force Trump to resume arms sales to Taiwan next year”, Wu said. Congress may be “a stronger incentive for (Beijing) to play it safer with Taiwan”, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute. Trump to approve an arms sale, the president retains the power to veto it “or simply ignore it”.
