Donald Trump is just not a US president who has courted worldwide assist.

Pursing an overtly nationalist “America First” coverage, he has overtly insulted half the world – from calling Europe’s leaders weak to describing Mexicans as rapists, and even dismissing your complete African continent.

However for some in south-east Asia, a shared enemy in China means they’re keen to nonetheless throw their assist behind him.

Hong Kong: ‘Solely Trump can hit the Communist Occasion’

Hong Kong has seen a extreme clampdown by Beijing within the wake of huge pro-democracy and anti-China protests. A brand new safety regulation has been introduced in to punish anybody seen as secessionist or undermining Beijing’s rule.

“When Donald Trump received elected 4 years in the past, I assumed the US had gone loopy,” Erica Yuen tells the BBC. “I might all the time been a supporter of the Democrats. Now although, I assist Trump – together with a number of the Hong Kong protesters.”

The activist and businesswoman says that the precedence for Hong Kong is to get a US president who will “hit the Chinese language Communist Occasion (CCP) laborious – that is the one factor that Hong Kong protesters hope for”.

These hopes have been fuelled by the US president’s vocal criticisms of China, notably with regard to Hong Kong.

Underneath his tenure, Congress has handed a regulation revoking Hong Kong’s particular standing, which gave the nation preferential financial therapy as a result of they stated Hong Kong was not “autonomous”. Sanctions had been additionally imposed on Hong Kong chief govt Carrie Lam and 10 different high officers from Hong Kong and mainland China.

Mr Trump’s opponent Joe Biden has additionally vowed to “punish” China for its actions in opposition to Hong Kong, and has famously referred to China’s chief Xi Jinping as a “thug”.

However for Ms Yuen, what makes the distinction is that the present administration has been “the primary to make up its thoughts that the CCP is a hurt to the world”.

“I do not know why the Obama and Clinton administrations did not realise that. They had been too naïve and thought the CCP would selected a democratic path and turn into a contemporary society. However that was confirmed to be not true.”

Hong Kong has seen waves of unrest over the previous years

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She is conscious that Hong Kong is weak to any financial repercussions of a battle between Washington and Beijing.

“You’ll be able to’t hurt the CCP with out harming Hong Kong,” she says. “However we’re prepared for any short-term struggling, we’re keen to sacrifice.”

Whereas she says a majority of activists – notably younger ones – share her views, opinion polls present that total, Mr Trump will get fairly combined critiques within the nation. In a latest survey, virtually half of these polled gave him a “poor” ranking, with many saying that Washington’s dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic had impacted his repute.

Taiwan: ‘An enormous brother we are able to depend on’

Tensions have been on the rise between China and the island of Taiwan. The 2 had been divided throughout a civil struggle within the 1940s, however Beijng insists the island will likely be reclaimed in some unspecified time in the future, by pressure if mandatory. Washington says any decision of their lengthy separation have to be accomplished peacefully.

The commerce tariffs and sanctions have additionally impressed some in Taiwan.

“Donald Trump’s perspective is nice for us and it is good to have such an ally. It offers us extra confidence when it comes to overseas affairs – militarily and commerce,” Victor Lin, who works in e-commerce, informed the BBC from Taiwan. “Now we have a giant brother we are able to depend on.”

Mr Trump has definitely prolonged his outreach towards Taiwan. Over the previous few months, the 2 governments have made main steps in direction of finalizing a bilateral commerce deal.

Such a commerce take care of the US would enable Taiwan to maneuver away from its heavy reliance on China, believes Mr Linh – probably going so far as to “actively invite Taiwan’s large firms to arrange factories within the US”.

He worries that Mr Biden might not take steps which can be “this provocative” within the face of Beijing’s wrath. Mr Biden has historically been often known as a supporter of participating with China. Though he has modified his stance on this extra lately, it has not reached the ears of the numerous Taiwanese who worry a Chinese language “invasion” could also be imminent.

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In 2019, a balloon ‘tank man’ in Taiwan marked the Tiananmen crackdown anniversary

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Mr Trump’s actions to assist Taiwan militarily have additionally bolstered assist for him there. The truth is, a latest ballot confirmed that Taiwan is the one nation the place people who need one other for years of Mr Trump strongly outnumber those that need Mr Biden to win.

Beijing has reacted strongly, warning the US “to not ship any unsuitable alerts to ‘Taiwan independence’ components to keep away from extreme injury to China-US relations”.

Vietnam: ‘Courageous to the purpose of recklessness’

Each Washington and Beijing have fought wars on Vietnamese soil within the final 50 years, however whereas the US has largely been forgiven, the south-east Asian nation stays frightened of the “China risk”.

Vietnam’s Trump followers into two teams, based on political analyst and vlogger Linh Nguyen.

Those that like him merely for the leisure and glamour, and those that are “die laborious Trump-supporters” and comply with US politics as a result of they imagine – like many in Hong Kong and Taiwan – he’s the one bulwark in opposition to the Communist governments each in China and Vietnam.

Neither Mr Trump or Mr Biden have spelled out a Vietnam technique, and Mr Trump has made it very clear that he is not going to rush to intervene within the conflicts and disputes of different international locations.

But some like political activist Vinh Huu Nguyen imagine that solely somebody like Trump “who’s courageous to the purpose of recklessness and even aggression” can really make a distinction.

Donald Trump all smiles with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc

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“And that is what units him aside from his predecessors. Coping with China requires such folks.”

When Donald Trump got here to energy, Mr Nguyen stated he felt the world would lastly “get up to the risks of China” and “its new type of communist state capitalism”.

However then there’s additionally the will for financial and political reform inside Vietnam, away from communist one-party rule.

Personally, he hopes a powerful US stance in opposition to the CCP may need a ripple impact throughout your complete area – ultimately reaching Hanoi.

Japan: ‘It is about our nationwide safety’

Japan has lengthy been thought of a precious companion and ally to the US, however when Mr Trump was elected many individuals had been nervous concerning the affect of his America-first coverage on relations. He axed a multilateral trans-Pacific commerce deal quickly after taking workplace and insists Japan should pay more cash to assist US troops stationed there.

“Donald Trump is our ally. For Japan, the largest cause we assist him is nationwide safety,” says Yoko Ishii, a YouTuber who vlogs below the identify Random Yoko.

She factors to the frequent intrusions of Chinese language navy planes and ships into Japanese airspace and waters. A lot of those centre across the disputed Senkaku Islands, claimed each by Tokyo and Beijing – which calls them the Diaoyu Islands.

“We actually desire a chief from the US that may struggle China aggressively,” she says, including “I do not suppose anyone could be that outspoken and have such robust presence – it actually needs to be Donald Trump”.

Ms Ishii leaves little doubt over her love for the incumbent

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Ms Ishii sees Japan in a quasi-alliance with different Asian nations and territories who would look to the US for assist in opposition to Beijing.

However regardless of her enthusiastic assist for Trump to stay within the White Home, vocal supporters like her are in a minority in Japan. Whereas normally, a optimistic view on the US is shared by a majority, solely 1 / 4 of Japanese believe in President Trump.

In contrast to a few of their Asian neighbours, many hope Mr Biden, who’s seen as somebody who will have interaction together with his allies in a means that Mr Trump didn’t, will re-enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership course of and have interaction extra carefully with Tokyo, each economically and militarily.