PREAMBLE
“In today's world, the contrast between Chinese governance and the chaos in the West … is becoming more prominent”, writes the director of CASS’s Institute of Political Science, Zhang Shuhua (张树华). “The Communist Party of China … has created a new form of human political civilisation marked by Chinese governance and a new type of democracy. In future, the garden of human political civilisation will inevitably become richer and more vibrant with the development of this new type of democracy”, he said.
“The trial is above all a blow to American democracy”, commented Zheng Yongnian (郑永年), political analyst and scholar from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Ren Yi (任意). Another astute political commentator, echoed this line: “The outcome of the election is uncertain, but one thing is certain: no matter which side wins, America’s [political] system is the loser.”
The article - reprodced as an excerpt published by the
Centre for International Strategy and Security Studies, School of History, Nanjing University on 4 June 2024 whence Fudan University, Meng Weizhan (孟维瞻), who does not view Trump as a paragon of virtue, but believes like some of his peers that the US’s judiciary is systemically biased against Trump and worries about the repercussions that such a perceived witch hunt may have on America’s increasingly fractured society.
Key Points
Trump's conviction has undoubtedly dealt a blow to his campaign, though the race will remain tight up until the end.
The likelihood of his being imprisoned for a short period of time is high.
The reason for this is straightforward: though his trial was procedurally fair, America’s elites, particularly those from the state of New York where the trial took place, are inherently biased against Trump and will do anything legally possible to undermine his campaign.
It is no coincidence that his sentencing will take place on 11 July, just a few days before the Republican National Convention is set to begin.
If Trump wants to preserve his chances of returning to power, he must stop presenting himself as a victim and accusing the judiciary of being rigged. He must focus on his political programme.
He should also show respect for American democracy, freedoms and constitutionalism, and promise to accept the election results whichever way they go.
If Trump were to be reelected, he is likely to remain politically weak. He has already alienated too many people and will be up against America’s deep state and elites.
Biden and the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, should commit themselves to pardoning Trump’s crimes.
The Democrats already have Trump over a barrel. They must avoid humiliating Trump and his supporters any further.
10. America is already too divided for this binary standoff to continue.
The Author
Name: Meng Weizhan (孟维瞻)
Year of birth: 1987 (age: 36/37)
Position: Lecturer and research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences, Fudan University
Research focus: International relations; Chinese foreign policy; US politics.
Education: BA Beijing Foreign Studies University; MA East China Normal University; Graduate certificate at Hopkins-Nanjing Center; PhD University of Hong Kong (2018)
Related Readings
A potential Trump presidency, Jia Qingguo (贾庆国)
Biden or Trump 2025, Wang Hao (王浩)
World in 2024,YAN Xuetong.