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US presidential election 2020
OpinionComment
Albert Cheng
Albert Cheng

Opinion | Hongkongers must not misjudge Biden and the future of US-China relations

  • It would be unwise to characterise Biden as pro-China, especially if Hongkongers hope to gain the support of Western democracies
  • Hong Kong’s own democrats, meanwhile, should heed Biden’s acceptance speech, and set aside their differences

Reading Time:3 minutes
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A demonstrator holds a US flag during a protest in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. Photo: Bloomberg
Albert Cheng
Joe Biden has defeated Donald Trump in one of the most nail-biting elections the world has witnessed to become the next president of the United States. World leaders – including those from Britain, Germany, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the European Union – have sent their congratulations.
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The US election was fiercely contested, with an unprecedented voter turnout of around 148 million. Trump and Biden have so far received around 71 million and 77 million votes respectively.

Trump, however, has refused to concede, claiming that the election process was fraudulent and invalid. He insists that mail-in ballots are subject to fraud and should not be counted. He has falsely declared victory and his campaign has filed lawsuits challenging the election results. This has given some hope to Trump supporters in Hong Kong.

Although the past few years have intensified the red-blue divide in America, the message that rang out loud and clear in Biden’s acceptance speech is that he intends to be “a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify; who doesn’t see red states and blue states, only sees the United States”.

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Beijing noodle restaurant celebrates US election win for Joe Biden and invites him back

Beijing noodle restaurant celebrates US election win for Joe Biden and invites him back

However, the conflict between Biden and Trump supporters continues to play out, not just on American soil but also overseas. In Hong Kong, a rift is deepening in the non-establishment camp, between radicals and traditional democrats.

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Hongkongers have paid close attention to this particular US presidential election out of desperation, as the Communist Party tightens its grip on the city. With the passage of the national security law for Hong Kong, many were hoping for a strong US leader who would be aggressive enough to stand up to China. But there were also democrats who could not tolerate Trump’s hate speech and discriminatory action.
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