Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Donald Trump by phone Sunday evening, during which the two men spoke about the importance of maintaining a strong relationship.
The two men “established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another,” according to a read-out of the call from Trump’s transition team. “President-elect Trump stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries.”
Trump told Xi that China’s “development is remarkable,” and that the U.S. and China can “achieve mutual benefits and win-win results” if the two countries enhance their cooperation with each other, Chinese state media reported.
Trump frequently accused China of devaluing its currency to gain a trade advantage during the course of his presidential campaign, and has vowed to instruct the Treasury secretary to label China a “currency manipulator” once he assumes office. A trade policy paper released by Trump in September noted that he would “instruct the U.S. Trade Representative to bring trade cases against China, both in [the U.S.] and the World Trade Organization.”
“China’s unfair subsidy behavior is prohibited by the terms of its entrance to the WTO,” he wrote.
Trump has spoken with several world leaders since his surprise victory last Tuesday and plans to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday in New York.
