Incoming President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The call comes as tensions between Washington and Beijing have escalated since Trump was last in the White House.
On Friday, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, “I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately.” It continued, “We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”
According to the Chinese readout of the call, “Xi congratulated Trump on his reelection as President of the United States. President Xi noted that they both attach great importance to their interactions, and both hope for a good start of the China-US relationship during the new US presidency.” It added, “President Xi expressed his readiness to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point.”
During Trump’s first term in office, he was a vocal China-hawk. He increased sanctions and tariffs on Beijing, while working to arm and build alliances with other countries in the region eyeing future confrontations with China.
Under President Joe Biden, the relationship between Washington and Beijing continued to deteriorate. Biden ramped up Trump’s economic war with Beijing and continued to push countries that surround China to join pacts in case a war breaks out with the Asian superpower.
Further angering Beijing, Biden increased US military and diplomatic support for Taiwan. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the breakaway Chinese territory. Additionally, Biden began providing Taipei with weapons paid for by US military assistance.
As Beijing considers Taiwan as a part of China, Washington arming Taipei is viewed as undermining Chinese sovereignty.
On the campaign trail, Trump attacked the Biden administration for not taking an aggressive enough position against Beijing and vowed to increase tariffs on Chinese goods.
However, along with the phone call, another positive sign that American-Sino relations could thaw during Trump’s second term is that the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Vice President Han Zheng would attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
In the Chinese statement on the call, it indicated that ties between the two superpowers could improve if there was more mutual respect. “Xi pointed out that it is natural for two big countries with different national conditions to have some disagreements. The important thing is to respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and find a proper solution.” It added, “The Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. side needs to approach it with prudence.”
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com and news editor of the Libertarian Institute. He hosts The Kyle Anzalone Show and is co-host of Conflicts of Interest with Connor Freeman.
