“We will continue to approach and handle China-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press briefing.

“Our policy toward the United States has been consistent,” she added.

Mao did not comment directly on the possibility of Trump’s re-election, but said “the United States presidential election is an internal affair of the United States”.

“We respect the choice of the American people,” she said.

“After the US election results are released and officially announced, we will handle related matters in accordance with usual practice,” she added when asked if Chinese President Xi Jinping would call Trump to congratulate him.

The US election was closely watched in China.

As of 4:00 pm local time (0800 GMT) on Wednesday, several topics related to Trump’s election were among the top trending on the X-like Weibo platform.

“Trump, congratulations! Focus on building your beautiful country and stop thinking about interfering with other countries,” one comment read.

Both candidates in this week’s race had pledged to get tougher on Beijing, with Trump promising tariffs of 60 percent on all Chinese goods coming into the country.

On Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram, a user declared: “The trade war has started.”

“My family does foreign trade and their world has just collapsed,” read another comment on Douyin with nearly 800 likes.

“With at least 20 percent additional tariffs, those in foreign trade should consider changing jobs as soon as possible!” another on Weibo said.

Mixed enthusiasm

Several people in Beijing on Wednesday told AFP they did not care which candidate won and that American politics were “none of their business”.

Others said they knew only of Trump’s mannerisms, including one young man on a cigarette break who demonstrated one of Trump’s go-to dance moves, waving his arms to the beat of YMCA.

But others were convinced people across all industries in China were paying close attention to a second Trump term.

“No matter what industry you’re in, people are indeed paying attention to him, what will happen to China next if he comes to power,” one man who works in the insurance industry and asked not to be named told AFP.

Trump has proposed a 10-20 percent tariff on all imports and wants an even higher rate of 60 percent on Chinese goods.

“It might be difficult for some foreign trade companies,” the insurance worker said. “But according to Chinese wisdom, ‘it’s better to have a quick pain than a prolonged pain’.”

Plus, he added, it doesn’t really matter even if Trump does something to “provoke” China.

“It’s him for just four years, right?” he said. “The person who may be more powerful than him may be his running mate, JD Vance… who will take over from Trump in the future.”

Analysts expect a major stimulus package — set to be unveiled at an ongoing meeting of top lawmakers in Beijing this week — to be larger in the event of a Trump victory.

Beijing as a matter of principle does not comment on other countries’ elections, though it said it opposes China being used as an issue on the campaign trail.

During his time as president, Trump launched a gruelling trade war with China, imposing swingeing tariffs on Chinese goods for what he said were unfair practices by Beijing, such as theft of US technology and currency manipulation.

Tensions did not abate under his Democratic successor, Joe Biden, with relations at their lowest levels in decades and Washington introducing sharp tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, EV batteries and solar cells.