US-China confrontation here to stay after election, says influential Beijing commentator

Competition between the United States and China appears inevitable, but the result of next week’s presidential election will determine whether Washington’s tactics are “coarse” or “refined”, a leading academic has said.

Vice-President Kamala Harris has a better chance of winning the election, Jin Canrong, vice dean of the school of international studies at Renmin University, told a forum at the university, adding that she would be “more refined and more systematic… and more covert” in her approach.

In contrast, he said Donald Trump “may be more simple and coarse” but his position now was “milder” than it had been during his presidency and showed subtle changes.