The News
US President-elect Donald Trump held his first call with China’s President Xi Jinping since leaving the White House in 2021, with TikTok, trade and stopping the flow of fentanyl top of the agenda.
“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,” Trump said on social media. “We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects.”
Xi said that during the call he and Trump had expressed hope for progress in US-China relations, Chinese state media reported.
China’s Vice President Han Zheng will attend Trump’s inauguration as Xi’s special representative, after the Chinese leader turned down an unusual offer to attend Monday’s swearing-in.
“[Han’s attendance] indicates that China is willing to talk, negotiate and make efforts to reach deals,” a US-China expert said.
News of their phone call was reported shortly before the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok unless its Chinese owner sold it; Trump has reportedly explored ways to rescue TikTok in the US, including considering an executive order to suspend the law’s enforcement.