Trump and Xi talk about trade, fentanyl, TikTok

WASHINGTON, United States — President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed trade, fentanyl, and TikTok in a phone call Friday, just days before Trump heads back to the White House with vows to impose tariffs and other measures on America’s biggest rival.

Despite that, Xi congratulated Trump on his second term and pushed for improved ties, the Chinese foreign ministry said. The call came on the same day that the US Supreme Court upheld a law banning TikTok unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company.

“We both attach great importance to interaction, hope for a good start of the China-US relationship during the new US presidency, and are willing to secure greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point,” Xi said in the call.

Trump confirmed on his Truth Social platform that he had spoken with Xi, saying: “The call was a very good one for both China and the USA.” They talked about trade, fentanyl, TikTok, and more, he said.

“President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Trump wrote. His transition team pointed to the social media post when asked for more details on the call.

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The past few days have shown a warmer side of the US-China relationship, which is expected to be one of the main focuses of Trump’s second term. In his campaign, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods by as much as 60% and later pledged an additional 10 percent hike over allegations China has failed to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

Experts believe that Trump would expand controls on products sold to China, too. But they also have pointed to Trump vowing to “save TikTok” even though he tried to ban the social media platform the last time he was in the White House.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Trump said on social media that his “decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”

Hal Brands, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said Trump is siding with TikTok because he believes the social media platform helped him in the 2024 election.

“So I think it is a sign that Trump’s own convictions on China are fairly changeable, given what is politically advantageous to him ,” Brands said. “He certainly isn’t a cold warrior at heart. In my view, his goal is to reach some sort of deal or accommodation with Beijing over the long term, even though he may well use confrontational tactics to build the leverage that is needed for that in the short- and medium-term.”

READ: US Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok

Hours before the Trump-Xi call, the Chinese foreign ministry announced that Vice President Han Zheng would attend Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as Xi’s special representative. Trump extended an unusual invitation to Xi in December, but no head of state has attended a US president’s inauguration in the past.

Trump in the past has praised his relationship with Xi and suggested China could help mediate international crises such as the war in Ukraine.

Beijing and Washington, however, have been locked in a tense economic competition since Trump’s first term, when relations shifted toward a more contentious rivalry. President Joe Biden also has imposed limits on the sale of advanced technology to China and slapped high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and solar cells.

Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, said at his confirmation hearing this week that China was “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.”

In the call Friday, Xi told Trump that differences are inevitable between the two powers, but the key lies with “respecting each other’s core interests and major concerns and finding a proper solution,” according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

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Xi urged Trump to approach the Taiwan issue “with prudence” because it is about China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Confrontation and conflict should not be an option for the two countries,” Xi said.

Beijing claims the self-governed island as Chinese territory and vows to annex it by force if necessary. The US is obligated by a domestic law to provide the island with sufficient hardware and technology to fend off any mainland invasion.

Trump has criticized Taiwan for pulling some of the semiconductor industry from the US, but US-Taiwan relations also significantly improved during his first term.

Taiwan is sending legislative speaker Han Kuo-yu and seven others to Trump’s inauguration, tasked with conveying Taiwan’s commitment to democracy and “best wishes” to Trump and his administration.

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In their phone call, Xi told Trump that the essence of trade and the overall economic relationship between the two countries is “mutually benefiting and win-win.”

The two leaders exchanged views on the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war and agreed to establish “a channel of strategic communication,” according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Craig Singleton, senior director of the China Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said such leader-to-leader calls are important and noted that Trump and Xi appear to be speaking more frequently.

“Regular communication is critical for advancing US interests while ensuring clarity in competition,” Singleton said.

Trump said in a December interview on “Meet the Press” that he had been communicating with Xi since he won the November election. Trump in the interview said he has “a very good relationship” with China’s leader. He said they did not discuss Taiwan but other issues.

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