China calls US midterms an internal matter and pledges to keep working with Washington

Beijing's response

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a briefing on 4 November that the US midterm elections are an internal matter for the United States. Beijing offered no judgement on the result but said it was ready to keep working with Washington. The vote took place on Tuesday, 3 November, and Democrats came away with control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, a setback for the Republican Party of President Donald Trump.

According to Mao Ning, China is prepared to uphold the consensus reached by Xi Jinping and Trump, strengthen communication, manage differences properly, expand cooperation and build a constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, justice and reciprocity. The wording stresses continuity in the bilateral track rather than any comment on the outcome in Washington.

Trump's reaction

Trump told the New York Times that he was willing to accept the election results and expected to reach some form of understanding with the Democrats. In a post on Truth, published after about three hours of silence, he said he had not been on the ballot and that otherwise his side would have won by a landslide. He also shared a photograph of a red cap similar to the MAGA caps he often wears, printed with the word Veto.

In a phone call with Politico, Trump said he did not want to spend two years vetoing everything, a reference to the rest of his term, and said Democrats had already called him and wanted to work with him. In the days before the vote he had warned that he would become 'Mr. Veto' if his party lost.

Europe and the wider context

French finance minister Roland Lescure told BFM that Trump remained in charge of foreign policy despite the Republican defeats. He said the president would either rise above the conflict, acknowledging that change was needed, especially on petrol prices, or would not, and that the issue would need close monitoring in the days ahead. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on 4 November that US voters had rejected policies that impoverish the population, along with hatred, sexism and the denial of climate change.

China and the United States are locked in intense strategic, commercial and technological competition. They fought a harsh trade war in 2025 after Trump returned to the White House, then reached a truce in October 2025 following a meeting between the two presidents. Xi and Trump have now met three times in just over a year, and Mao Ning referred to those meetings when describing the consensus between them.

Next steps

The truce was confirmed during two summits held in 2026, in Beijing and Washington, and was temporarily extended until 10 January. Xi and Trump are due to meet again in mid-November at the APEC summit in Shenzhen, in southern China. Speculation has also circulated about a possible trilateral meeting involving Xi, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mao Ning said Beijing is in contact with the parties involved but gave no further details about such a meeting.