China, US must 'get along', Xi tells Trump after election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Nov 2024 08:01

The Chinese President calls for enhanced dialogue, communication, and effective management of differences between the two countries.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump before a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized on Thursday the need for China and the United States to find a way to “get along” in a message to US President-elect Donald Trump, as reported by state media.

Trump’s decisive victory has introduced a new era of uncertainty for both the United States and the global community, potentially reshaping US-China relations, which have been marked by tensions in recent years over issues ranging from trade to the status of self-governing Taiwan.

In his first message to Trump since his re-election, Xi remarked that “history has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation,” according to state broadcaster CCTV.

"A stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship is in the common interest of both countries and is in line with the expectations of the international community," Xi stated, calling for enhanced dialogue, communication, and effective management of differences between the two countries.

Xi underscored that China and the United States must "find a correct way... to get along in this new era, to benefit both countries and the world."

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also extended a message to Vice President-elect JD Vance, CCTV reported.

Both Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris had vowed to adopt a tougher stance on China. However, Trump has taken it further, pledging to impose a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods entering the United States.

Xi expressed his hope "that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation."

Beijing this week declared its hope that the two countries could enjoy a "peaceful coexistence" in the future while refraining from commenting on the implications of Trump’s unexpected victory.

Xi and Trump have previously met on four occasions, with the latter often highlighting his “very strong relationship” with the Chinese President.

But Trump has suggested that he could deter any potential Chinese attack on Taiwan by threatening tariffs as high as 150%.

Analysts had anticipated that the US election outcome would be a focal point of a key legislative meeting in Beijing this week, where top Chinese lawmakers are discussing a stimulus package to strengthen China’s economy.

A primary concern will be Beijing’s response to Trump’s anticipated tariff hikes, which asset managers PineBridge Investments estimate could affect $500 billion in Chinese exports.

Tao Wang, Chief China Economist at UBS Investment Research, told AFP, “We expect the Chinese government to respond with limited retaliation and more domestic policy support to the economy, to partially offset the negative impact."