But what does Biden have in mind for Asia?

The US has a powerful reach, their over security, trade and climate change, but also arrival for economic and military dominance.

A confident China, which has managed so far to beat back it's coronavirus epidemic and now looks to outmaneuver the US as a global superpower.

Meanwhile, protest movements in Thailand and Hong Kong look to the US as a champion of democracy for the region.

In nuclear armed North Korea, the US faces an existential threat.

President Trump tried cozying up to Kim Jong Eun, but his personal touch did nothing to rid the dictatorship of its long range nuclear missiles.

The Trump administration had more success with the quad relationship, an alliance of democracies Japan, India, the US and Australia as a counterweight to China's expansionist ambitions, like in the South China Sea ties that Biden may seek to bolster.

But as a politician who prides himself on collaboration and consensus in his own style, joining us this Matthew Brooker, he's managing editor of Bloomberg Opinion Asia.

Matthew, Let's start with where you're at.

In Hong Kong, people have strong feelings there about Trump versus Biden and who would support the Pro Democrats more.

What's your assessment now?

We know it's going to be Biden.

I think you're quite right, Melissa.

There is a very strong support for Trump in in the in the pro democracy camp and certainly among the protesters.

Um, they really see, you know, I think it's a case of my enemy's enemy is my friend.

They may not be so tuned into the way that Trump behaves on his home turf.

They just see somebody who's been very strong in opposing the Chinese Communist Party and what they've been doing in the city here.

I see that you're working from home and the kids are in the background, uh, something that a lot of people have to deal with these days.

Not a problem at all, but moving on Thio now moving on to China.

How will Biden's engagement with China be different?

I think you know the very clear difference that you're going to see is that we're just gonna have a much more predictable character in the White House.

Uh, Trump obviously took a very confrontational, very pugilistic attitude to China and approach on that was, you know, clearly appreciated by some people in this region.

I think the the downside of that has bean that is very scatter shop scattershot approach.

And it's, uh, alienated.

Many of the U.

S is allies around the world, I think with Biden in place, where you're going to see is a return to a much MAWR multilateral approach that seeks to bring in allies and build a kind of united front.

Now let's talk about India.

Modi and Trump had a very good relationship.

Do you think that will be the case with Biden, or will we be seeing the Americans put ah, little bit more pressure on India when it comes to human rights violations?

For example, yes, that z India is an interesting one.

Obviously, you had this vory quite bizarre loving between Trump and Modi, the howdy mode events and then the nothing Nana State Trump return in India.

Eso in that respect, there's a I think, you know Modi.

Certainly maybe not particularly happy to see Trump defeated Um, on the other hand, of course, Biden's vice president has, uh, Indian heritage, and I think there's a lot of excitement a lot of pride in India about that on that, you know, maybe sets the stage for there to be, ah, warmer relationship in some ways.

But clearly Biden has bean mawr vociferous on human rights issues, and that is an area of potential tension in the US India relationship.

Now on to Japan.

How will that close relationship change?

Or will it?

I don't think you're going to see very fundamental change in the Japan relationship.

I mean, obviously, Japan is the U.

S s closest ally in Asia, probably the closest ally on I think they'd be prepared to work with whoever is in the White House.

Um, you know, I hear that on the on the conservative side of the spectrum in Japan, they may not be so happy to see Trump go, because from their perspective, the Obama years were a bit too soft on China.

They didn't really see China as being the looming threat that I think it's perceived to be across the political spectrum, Um, in the US now, um, but on, you know, really the same applies Azaz for India and China.

Biden is going to be much more predictable on bond.

You know.

I don't think that whoever's in the White House that the, you know, China really looms over everything.

Whichever bilateral relationship you're talking about in Asia, I think that's gonna be one thing.

That's a key concern to Japan on.

I don't think that's really gonna change very much under Bide and Matthew Broker, Thank you so much for your time.