Incoming President Donald Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, three days before his inauguration Monday. Tensions between Washington and Beijing have only escalated since Trump was last in the White House, and the Pentagon and US intelligence have named China as a top global threat.
Still, Trump hailed the "very good call" he had with Xi, which was on the occasion of the Chinese leader wishing Trump well on his second term in office. 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."
The statement 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!"
On the Chinese side, the readout said, "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."
"President Xi expressed his readiness to secure greater progress in China-U.S. relations from a new starting point," it added.
The words were unexpectedly warm and welcoming considering the fact that during Trump's first term in office he was an outspoken China hawk, also piling up sanctions and tariffs on Beijing.
But it was Biden who directly increased military and diplomatic support to Taiwan, with the single biggest escalation coming when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island, triggering the largest Chinese military encircling exercises up to that point.
The Chinese statement on Friday's Trump call continued, "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 US side needs to approach it with prudence."
A further positive sign that American-Sino relations have the potential to thaw is that the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Vice President Han Zheng will be attending Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
The Vice President's high rank in government is significant, and he's not a mere lower or mid-ranking official...
China to send Vice President Han Zheng to Trump inauguration
— RT (@RT_com) January 17, 2025
Han Zheng one of core Beijing officials - has met Putin one-to-one before, attended King Charles coronation
Usually China sends lower-level officials to inaugurations
China making an outreach effort pic.twitter.com/ISoH2wGc4U
Political analyst Dylan Loh,assistant professor at the Nanyang Technological University, was cited in Business Insider as saying, "Han's attendance is significant, and even though the vice president does not really wield political power, it is still consequential, and he certainly will be able to play the role of an interlocutor and a channel of communication."
"Symbolically, the presence of Han for Trump's inauguration is also important to underline that political communication and cooperation is possible despite the campaign rhetoric and threat of tariffs," Loh added.
Also significant is that the chief executive of TikTok plans to attend the inauguration and is expected to sit in a position of honor on the dais. "The invitation to the executive, Shou Chew, went out from the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the inauguration on Monday," NY Times writes. "Mr. Chew will join Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk on the dais, along with other tech executives at the event, according to two people with knowledge of the planning."