After three heated presidential debates, the 2016 American presidential election campaign has drawn much attention from China and has become a topic among Chinese students at the University of Iowa. Several friends suggested that it would be a good idea for me to write some observations on the election from the viewpoint as a Chinese student. People are curious about how people in China see this election.

I consider Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a courageous businessman who is willing to challenge the current system. However, he lacks basic manners in respecting people he does not agree with, and he always appears to be unpredictable on practical policies. He does notice the anger of Americans about how the U.S. has changed in recent years, but his corrective plans are unclear.

Meanwhile, many Americans see Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as a complicated political elitist. Nevertheless, anyone who gets involved in politics is likely to have a complex relationship to interest groups. The good thing is that Clinton knows how the system works, and she can guarantee stability rather than taking risks both domestically and internationally.

Though the Chinese government is very different from America’s, the Chinese are a freedom-loving people. They know about the 2016 election campaign from the developed media. The interesting phenomenon is that no matter how different the two candidates are, both have many fans in China. Clinton is well-liked by many Chinese women. Her career signifies a woman’s struggle in a male-dominated society. My grandmother believes that a woman president of the “No. 1 country in the world” will demonstrate women’s rising roles today. My aunt wishes for her daughter to become a leader like Clinton in the future.

In the Chinese political environment, men are interested in Trump because they identify him as an independent grass-roots fighter of corrupt politics. In today’s China, corruption is deeply rooted everywhere, so they also hope for someone like Trump, an independent, bold, and radical outsider to change the current status quo. Trump’s unique appearance and strong personality distinguishes him from former presidents, which makes him incredibly appealing to Chinese men.

Since last year, many of my Chinese friends, both from my native land and from the  University of Iowa, have expected the debates to come to an climax. The reason behind their enthusiasm is based on the admiration of democracy and curiosity about the encounter between two candidates. My father in China watched three debates and took notes. He thought that a majority of the debates were meaningless. Compared to the last election between President Obama and Mitt Romney, he feels that the debates this year were full of personal attacks and redundant rhetoric.

In all, I am delighted that people back home and overseas pay attention to the 2016 election. It is a signature event in American democracy that expresses the will of American citizens. I salute all the brave Americans who have set a marvelous example of democracy for 200 years.

— Fangren Yu