BBC
In China, people are following the US elections with keen interest and some anxiety. They fear that whoever wins the White House could impact many aspects of life – at home and abroad.
“None of us want to see a war,” Mr. Xiang says, as the music in the park reaches a crescendo and a nearby dancer elegantly twirls his partner.
He came to Rita Park to learn dancing with other seniors.
They gather regularly here, just a few hundred meters from the Beijing home of the American ambassador to China.
Along with new dance moves, the impending US elections are also on their minds.
This comes at a pivotal moment between the two superpowers, where tensions over Taiwan, trade and international affairs are high.
“I fear that Sino-American relations will become strained,” says Mr. Xiang, in his sixties. Peace is what we want, he adds.
A crowd gathered to listen to this conversation. Most are reluctant to give their full names in a country where speaking about the U.S. president is allowed, but criticizing their own leader could land them in trouble.
They say they are worried about war – not just a conflict between Washington and Beijing, but also an escalation of the current wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
This is why Mr. Meng, in his seventies, hopes that Donald Trump will win the election.
“Although he imposes economic sanctions on China, he does not wish to start or fight a war. Mr. Biden starts more wars, so more and more ordinary people don't like him. It is Mr. Biden who supports the war in Ukraine and Russia and Ukraine are suffering great losses because of the war,” he said.
Some sisters record a dance routine for their social media page. “Donald Trump said during the debate that he would end the war in Ukraine 24 hours after taking office,” explains one of them.
“About Harris, I know her little, we think she is following the same path as President Biden who supports the war. »
Their views echo a key message propagated in Chinese state media.
China called on the international community to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza while aligning itself with what it describes as its “Arab brothers” in the Middle East and was quick to blame the United States for their unwavering support for Israel.
Regarding Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the United Nations that China was playing a “constructive role” in accusing Washington of “exploiting the situation for selfish purposes.”
While most analysts believe that Beijing has no favorite in this race for the White House, many agree that Kamala Harris is an unknown to the Chinese people and the country's leaders.
But some believe she will be more stable than Trump when it comes to one of the biggest flashpoints between the United States and China: Taiwan.
“I don’t like Trump. I don't think there is a good future between the US and China – there are too many problems, the global economy and also the Taiwan problem, says father of four-year-old boy in a park for a family. daytime.
He fears their differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict.
“I don’t want it. I don’t want my son to go to the army,” he says as the young boy begs him to go back on the slide.
China claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own and President Xi has said “reunification is inevitable”, vowing to take it back by force if necessary.
The United States maintains formal ties with Beijing and recognizes it as China's sole government under its “one China policy,” but it also remains Taiwan's most important international backer.
Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons and Joe Biden has said the United States will defend Taiwan militarily, breaking with a stance known as strategic ambiguity.
Harris didn't go that far. Instead, when asked in a recent interview, she declared a “commitment to security and prosperity for all nations.”
Donald Trump is more focused on a deal and not diplomacy. He called on Taiwan to pay for its protection.
“Taiwan took our chip business from us. I mean, how stupid are we? They are immensely rich,” he said in a recent interview. “Taiwan should pay us for our defense.”
One of their biggest concerns about the former US president is that he has also made it clear that he plans to impose 60% tariffs on Chinese goods.
That's the last thing many Chinese companies want right now, as the country tries to make enough goods to be able to export itself during an economic downturn.
Chinese ministers express contempt for US-imposed tariffs first imposed by Donald Trump.
President Biden also imposed tariffs targeting Chinese electronic vehicles and solar panels. Beijing believes that these measures aim to slow down its rise in global economic power.
Getty Images
Trump met with Xi in Beijing in 2017
“I don't think it would do any good for the United States to impose tariffs on China,” Mr. Xiang said, echoing the sentiments of many people we met. The tariffs will affect the American population, he adds, and increase costs for ordinary citizens.
Much of the younger generation, while patriotic, also looks to the United States for trends and culture — and that, perhaps more than any diplomatic mission, also has power.
In the park, Lily and Anna, aged 20 and 22, who get their news from TikTok, echo some of the messages of national pride broadcast by Chinese state media about this competitive relationship.
“Our country is a very prosperous and powerful country,” they say, dressed in their national costumes. They love China, they said, although they also love the Avengers and particularly Captain America.
Taylor Swift is also on their playlists.
A food stand in Rita Park
Others, like 17-year-old Lucy, hope to one day study in America.
As she rides a newly installed exercise bike around the park, she dreams of visiting Universal Studios one day after she graduates.
Lucy says she's excited to see there's a female candidate. “Harris’ candidacy marks an important step forward for gender equality, and it is encouraging to see her as a presidential candidate.”
The People's Republic of China has never had a woman lead the country, and no women currently sit on the 24-member team known as the Politburo, which constitutes the highest-ranking members of the Communist Party Chinese.
Lucy also worries about the intense competition between the two countries and believes that the best way for China and the United States to improve their relations is to have more people-to-people exchanges.
Both sides have pledged to work toward this goal, but the number of American students studying in China has fallen from about 15,000 in 2011 to 800.
Xi hopes to open the door for 50,000 American students to come to China over the next five years. But in a recent interview with the BBC, the US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, accused parts of the Chinese government of not taking the commitment seriously.
He said that on dozens of occasions, security forces or a government department have prevented Chinese citizens from participating in U.S.-led public diplomacy.
On the other hand, Chinese students and scholars said they were unfairly targeted by U.S. border authorities.
Lucy, however, remains optimistic that she will one day be able to travel to America to promote Chinese culture. And as the music echoes nearby, it urges Americans to visit and experience China.
“We may be a little reserved sometimes and not as outgoing or extroverted as Americans, but we are welcoming,” she says as she leaves to join her family.
BBC photographs by Xiqing Wang
Between now and the US election on November 5, BBC correspondents in other parts of the world will be looking at what impact the results might have where they stand, and what people around the world think about the race. the White House.
