In China, Donald Trump's successful U.S. election bid has fostered a sense of strategic opportunity, increased uncertainty, as well as cemented realist notions of the importance of power transition and structural change as the core drivers behind great power politics.

On the streets of Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing, however, average Chinese citizens view Hillary Clinton's defeat as an example of the problems with democracy. For many, the election of someone with no experience in government and with such visibly vulgar campaign rhetoric is evidence that the democratic system can be, and has been, delegitimized. At the same time, many view the ascent of a complete outsider to the pinnacle of political power in the United States as an inspiration, reaffirming views that the current system in China favors particular interest groups rather than the ordinary Chinese.

In China's scholarly and policy world, however, three distinct schools have emerged. The first sees Trump's presidency as a strategic opportunity for China to exert its credentials as the leader of globalization through mutually beneficial national projects such as the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, leadership through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.