China at the epicentre of the raging US election storm

THE approaching American presidential election, which President Donald Trump has called "the most important election in the history of our country", sees China playing a disproportionate role, despite Beijing trying to stay out of the politicking and endless fusillades from Mr Trump.

The official Chinese position on the contest between Mr Trump and Joe Biden, former vice- president and the standard-bearer of the Democratic Party, is that it has no position.

"We have no comment on the US presidential election, which is an internal affair," Zhao Lijian, spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry, said last Friday when asked to comment on Mr Trump's speech the night before. "At the same time, we urge the US not to make an issue out of China in its election."