Hello everyone, welcome to “News Perspective”. Today’s focus: A poll shows all seven swing states turning red; Trump attacks Democratic strongholds, and He Jinyan invites superstars to join the fray; Xi’s anti-corruption drive targets dissidents, officials adopt a “do nothing” stance. Millions compete in the national exams, with 16,000 vying for a single job position!
On October 28th (Monday), there are 8 days left until the US election. Over 38 million early votes have been cast nationwide, with an estimated 160 million registered voters eligible to cast their ballots in various states.
How is the US President elected? As is well known, the US election is not based on a simple popular vote but determined through the Electoral College system established by the founding fathers. There are 538 electoral votes in total, based on the 100 seats in the Senate, 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and 3 votes from the District of Columbia. The magic number is 270, whoever reaches 270 votes wins.
The swing states will be the deciders in this election. Arizona 11, Nevada 6, Georgia 16, North Carolina 16, Pennsylvania 19, Michigan 15, Wisconsin 10. Polls from various mainstream US media outlets show a tight race in these states, with the gap between the two presidential candidates within single digits, and sometimes less than 1%.
However, data from the prominent US polling aggregator “RealClearPolitics” shows Trump leading Harris in all seven swing states by an average margin of 0.9%.
On the other hand, the polling from another key aggregator, “FiveThirtyEight,” shows He Jinyan leading Trump by 1.5 percentage points nationally, with Trump leading in five of the swing states and trailing in the other two.
According to a recent election statistical model published by The Economist on October 24th, the chances of Trump returning to the White House have increased to 54%, a 6 percentage point rise from the previous week.
Former President Trump held a significant campaign rally on Sunday afternoon at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York. It was the first GOP presidential event in New York since President Reagan’s reelection campaign in 1984. Despite New York being a Democratic stronghold, Trump aims to mobilize support.
At the rally, Trump emphasized cracking down on illegal immigration and crime, aiming to sway traditional Democratic voters. He pledged to start the largest deportation program in US history and save cities overrun by invasion and conquest.
The rally featured prominent guests standing in support of Trump, including world’s richest man Musk, House Speaker Johnson, former Fox anchor Carlson, and former independent presidential candidate Kennedy.
Experts note that celebrity endorsements do not guarantee political success. In the final days leading up to the election, both Trump and He Jinyan are relentlessly campaigning to sway voters.
Recently, a Chinese Australian, James Chen, shared his observations upon returning to Beijing. He highlighted the shift in official corruption from overt to covert under Xi’s anti-corruption campaign, leading to officials adopting a passive “do nothing” stance unless directly threatened.
Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption efforts have been ongoing since the 18th National Congress in 2012. By June 2022, 4.7 million individuals had been investigated, criticized, educated, assisted, or charged as part of this campaign.
Chen believes Xi’s anti-corruption campaign is primarily targeting dissenters, stating that inspectors often reside within various units, acting merely for appearances sake rather than genuinely upholding justice.
Chen’s insight describes a prevalent mentality among officials, where personal interests and safety take precedence, leading to a passive bureaucratic landscape.
In the context of China’s stringent fiscal situation, the surge in applicants for the national civil service exams reflects the allure of the perks and stability the job offers. The “invisible benefits” provided to government employees serve as a significant draw for many aspirants.
The competitive landscape for government positions soared with over 3.25 million applicants for the national exams in 2025, exhibiting a yearly increase in interest.
Despite economic challenges and reports of salary cuts, public servants in China still enjoy numerous benefits ranging from housing allowances, healthcare, retirement provisions, festive bonuses, and even sponsored trips.
The fascination with government jobs in China stems from a long-standing notion that academic excellence leads to bureaucratic success. The societal ethos of “study hard to become an official” persistently motivates individuals to vie for civil service positions.
In an intriguing twist, one standout from the 2024 national exam was a Stanford University Applied Physics Ph.D. holder who secured a grassroots government role in Anhui Province. This individual is part of a larger trend where highly educated individuals are entering basic government positions, contributing to talent wastage concerns.
As the election draws closer and bureaucratic struggles persist in China, both political candidates and government aspirants navigate uncertain terrains in their pursuit of influence and stability.
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