On Friday, January 17th, President-elect Trump (Trump) of the United States and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping had a phone call. The discussion involved TikTok, trade, fentanyl, and other topics.
Trump shared details of the conversation on the social media platform “Truth Social.”
“It was a very good call for both China and the United States. I look forward to us solving many issues together and starting immediately. We discussed trade balance, fentanyl, TikTok, and many other issues,” Trump said.
According to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Xi congratulated Trump on his re-election as U.S. President in the conversation, saying both sides value their interactions and hope for a good start to U.S.-China relations.
The statement also mentioned that both leaders agreed to establish a strategic communication channel to maintain regular contact on major issues of mutual concern.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court justices rejected TikTok’s appeal, and a law passed by the U.S. government will take effect this weekend (January 19th). By then, the TikTok app will be banned across the United States.
Following this decision, Trump commented on “Truth Social” that the Supreme Court’s ruling was expected, and everyone must respect it. “I will make a decision on TikTok in the near future, but I need time to review the situation.”
Prior to the call between Trump and Xi, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday morning that Vice Premier Han Zheng would attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
According to the UK’s “The Guardian,” Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, stated, “This indicates that China is willing to engage in dialogue, negotiations, and efforts to reach agreements.”
Over a month ago, Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi. Other foreign leaders also received invitations. Inviting foreign leaders to attend the U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony will break with tradition.
Danny Russel, Vice Dean for International Security and Diplomatic Affairs at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said sending Han Zheng to the U.S. instead of Xi personally is a risk-avoidance measure. He mentioned that Han’s visit to the U.S. is more symbolic than substantive.
Han Zheng was appointed Vice President of China in March 2023 and is known as the “number eight figure” in China, ranking highest after the seven members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee.
According to BBC reports, Neil Thomas, a researcher at the China Studies Center of the Asia Society Policy Institute, noted that Han Zheng is not considered a core member of Xi Jinping’s inner circle, but Xi trusts him enough to carry out this mission. However, Han is not his key ally, and if there are awkward failures, blame can be attributed to Han.
Trump has selected several hawks on China to assume key positions in the new U.S. government, including Secretary of State nominee Senator Marco Rubio.
On Thursday, Rubio stated during a Senate hearing that the Chinese Communist Party is the most dangerous “near-peer adversary” the U.S. faces. Members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged Rubio to prioritize countering the CCP.
The CCP expressed discontent over this, claiming Rubio’s remarks were a smear against Beijing.
Trump has repeatedly condemned China’s unfair trade practices and criticized China for causing a devastating fentanyl crisis in the United States. After the U.S. election, he stated that unless Beijing takes more measures to stop fentanyl trafficking, he will impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods. During his campaign, he mentioned imposing tariffs exceeding 60% on Chinese goods.
Due to China’s heavy reliance on exports, any tariffs would further impact the already struggling economy.