Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Illustration)
[Illustration by Jang Hyun-kyung and Jeong Yeon-ju]
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Soo-hyun = Chinese President Xi Jinping called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential election, as reported by CNN and Reuters on the 6th (local time).
CNN cited sources familiar with the conversation, stating that Xi called Trump to congratulate him on his electoral victory.
CNN added that this contact occurred amid global leaders attempting to reach Trump through various official and unofficial channels.
Earlier in the day, during a briefing, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked whether President Xi would call to congratulate Trump since his victory seemed certain. The ministry responded, “We will handle related matters according to customs after the U.S. election results are officially announced.”
Later that night, after the election result was confirmed, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement on its website, saying, “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend our congratulations on Mr. Trump’s election as president.”
During his first presidential term (2017-2021), Trump labeled China as a “strategic competitor” and imposed high tariffs on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China imposed tariffs on U.S. imports, escalating a trade war between the two nations.
The U.S. strategy to contain China continued under the subsequent administration of President Joe Biden, with most of the high tariffs from Trump’s term remaining in place.
In the recent election, Trump pledged to revive domestic manufacturing and jobs by further expanding tariffs. He announced an extremely tough trade policy, including imposing over 60% tariffs on Chinese products.
However, given Trump’s personal rapport with Xi, there is speculation that a “top-down” diplomatic resolution might be sought.
In 2019, Trump and Xi held an about 80-minute meeting during the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, agreeing to a “truce” and the resumption of trade negotiations amid deteriorating relations due to the trade war.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said of Xi, “We have a very strong relationship. I got along with him very well.”
In a recent podcast appearance, Trump described Xi as a “brilliant individual” and an “extremely efficient leader who controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist.” He also remarked that should he return to the White House, his first call would be with Xi.
In this context, the BBC noted that Trump might deviate from the Biden administration’s approach of strengthening security cooperation with other Asian countries to contain China.