In Europe, Asia, and South America, preferences for either Clinton or Trump differ based on the candidates’ views on trade, the economy, and foreign policy doctrine. Though Clinton is the preferred candidate in most areas, whoever the next U.S. president is will face significant challenges on several continents.

Hillary Clinton is expected to be more belligerent than Obama in dealing with Beijing. But the U.S. cannot expect confrontational or coercive tactics to succeed. Doing so could damage further cooperation between the two countries and drive Beijing closer to North Korea. Instead, the U.S. should aim to take a more diplomatic approach to their relationship with Beijing.

The critical U.S. presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton not only matters for China-U.S. relations, but also reflects how a new and potent form of isolationism is on the rise globally. Deep economic and cultural fissures are developing between those who can take advantage of globalization and those who lack the resources and skills to do so.

Despite their differences as argued by Clinton and Trump, the televised encounter showed that protecting the interests of the United States will be the objective of whoever wins the White House.

Marianne Ojo analyzes the effect that foreign affairs, national security, and economic concerns have on the narratives present in the U.S. Presidential debates. Just how devastating could Trump be for the U.S economy? The financial markets are preparing and testing the waters, and it can be speculated that the markets will adjust if Trump wins the election despite initially reacting with volatility.

Whether Trump wins the election or not, we are seeing the failure of the U.S. democracy. Even if Meanwhile, Trump forced the Americans to face the inconvenient truth of their democracy and the dark side of the American society. The discrimination against the minority groups, the disparity between the rich and the poor and the money politics will not disappear just because the mainstream chooses to ignore them.

The U.S.-China relationship is probably the most important one that the next president will need to manage. There would be few surprises for Asia in a Clinton presidency who would largely maintain the traditional ‘hedge and engage’ policy towards China. While a Trump presidency could be seen as better for China, allowing more leeway on security issues, adding an additional element of unpredictability that he would bring to China’s already uncertain economy, would not be good for the country or President Xi Jinping.

Donald Trump is a symptom of a broader problem with a GOP that has drifted steadily rightward for decades. While the world stares in astonishment at the theatrics of the American general election, a broad consensus is emerging that Donald Trump is not fit to be President of the United States. However, what Trump’s emergence means for America’s two-party system is a bigger question.

Donald Trump’s nomination as the presumptive GOP candidate has come amid global alarm that the openly protectionist candidate will launch a series of anti-free trade initiatives if elected. However, a trade war with Mexico, and even more so with China, would have catastrophic consequences for the U.S. economy.

Rather than focusing on the nominees’ rhetoric, Professor Timothy Webster explores their actions vis-à-vis China and the international economy during their respective careers. Whoever wins in November, the next administration will likely enact a China policy stressing economic engagement, person-to-person interaction, and cooperation on a wide range of global challenges — despite fundamental disagreements with China about a number of issues.