Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory, calling on the two countries to seek common ground, Xinhua reported on Thursday.
Trump vowed to “stop wars” and usher in a new period of prosperity for the US in his victory speech early on Wednesday. However, multiple media outlets have since reported concerns of a potential US-China trade war similar to the one during the first Trump presidency.
On Thursday, Xi congratulated Trump on his election win and stated that history has shown that China and the US benefit from cooperation and lose from confrontation, according to Xinhua.
While several media reported that Xi and Trump had held a phone call, Chinese officials later clarified that the congratulations were delivered in a message.
A stable, healthy, and sustainable relationship between the two states is in line with their interests, as well in the expectations of the international community, Xinhua cited the Chinese leader as saying.
Xi reportedly expressed hope that the US and China would uphold mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, as well as seeking peaceful coexistence, strengthening dialogue, and properly managing their differences.
While Trump promised to slap tariffs on Chinese imports during his presidential campaign, the administration of outgoing President Joe Biden has already taken protectionist measures against goods from China. In September, Washington announced tariff hikes that increased duties on imported Chinese electric vehicles to 100% and to 50% for semiconductors, among a number of other goods.
Numerous world leaders have congratulated Trump on his victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that he was not aware if Russian President Vladimir Putin would congratulate Trump. Relations between Moscow and Washington are at “the lowest point in history,” Peskov said, adding that the US is an “unfriendly country that is both directly and indirectly involved in the war against our state.”
