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Former US president Donald Trump said his runaway Iowa victory caused turbulence in China’s stock markets, casting it as an indication that Beijing is worried about him retaking the White House.

“I felt very badly for them. China had a crash yesterday in their stock market. You know why? Because I won Iowa,” Trump said Tuesday night while campaigning in New Hampshire, the next state in the Republican nomination calendar. “Literally, as soon as those numbers started coming in yesterday, they had a crash - of big - one of the worst numbers that they’ve had in years.”

Trump said that highlighted Beijing’s concerns that he would take a tougher approach to US-China ties even as he characterised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as “great”.

“I love China. I love everybody but they can’t take advantage of us,” he continued. “That tells you what it’s about. If I get in they know it’s not going to be so good for them.”

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