China Asks U.S. Voters To Be ‘Reasonable and Objective’ as Trump Ascends

China is officially worried about the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency.

It’s rare for foreign allies to delve into U.S. domestic politics. It’s even more rare for foreign rivals to do so. But as it became increasingly clear that Trump will sit atop the GOP ticket, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei did just that.

Asked during a news briefing in Beijing about the possibility of a Trump presidency, Hong adopted a measured yet vaguely critical tone.

“It is worth pointing out that mutual benefit and win-win results are defining features of economic cooperation and trade between China and the U.S., and meet the common interests of both,” he said Wednesday. “We hope the U.S. people from all walks of life would view bilateral relations from a reasonable and objective perspective.”

China is Trump’s economic bogeyman. On the campaign trail, he constantly rails against Beijing for stealing American jobs, taking advantage of the U.S.-China trade relationship, and manipulating its currency to make Chinese goods cheaper. (Side note: The International Monetary Fund has determined that this is not the case; according to the bank, the renminbi is fairly valued.) He’s also accused China of militarizing the South China Sea and has pledged to build up U.S. military presence in the region.

“We have been too afraid to protect and advance American interests and to challenge China to live up to its obligations,” said a statement on Trump’s campaign website, regarding his plans to deal with Beijing. “We need smart negotiators who will serve the interests of American workers — not Wall Street insiders that want to move U.S. manufacturing and investment offshore.”

For a more entertaining look at how important China is to Trump’s campaign, check out the video below:

Perhaps China was responding to Trump’s recent comments on trade between Beijing and Washington. “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country,” Trump said at a campaign rally on Sunday, adding, “and that’s what they’re doing.”

At the very least, the comments from leaders of the world’s second-largest economy reveal concerns about their relationship with the world’s largest. It’s just another sign the rest of the world is growing very, very concerned about the possibility of a Trump presidency.

Photo credit: SPENCER PLATT/Getty Images