The Trump administration shut a Chinese consulate in Houston and Beijing returned the “favour” by closing the US diplomatic mission in Chengdu. Political pundits have labelled this latest provocation by Washington as an electoral move to get President Donald Trump another four years in the White House. “I’m not sure how the Chinese would react depending on who’s the winner. But in its estimation, if Trump does win a second presidency, I think China expects that Trump will hold back some of these measures and recalibrate America’s approach to China,” says Assistant Professor Dr Hoo Tiang Boon, who studies US-China relations at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “I think some of the hawkish members in the Trump administration may think this could possibly be their last chance to do things they want against China. So they’re elevating some of their actions,” he adds.