But even as the Democratic candidates drubbed their Republican rival, there were signs that they would continue the thrust of his signature foreign policy endeavor: the ongoing trade war with China.

For China’s political leaders, that may be a worrying sign that even if the combative Trump leaves office in 2021, their trade relationship with the United States has been irrevocably changed.

Most notably, while many criticized Trump’s handling of the trade war, none of the candidates would say they would move to quickly repeal the wide-ranging tariffs Trump has put in place on Chinese imports. Some suggested that they would keep the tariffs in place for their own trade negotiations.