US President-elect Donald Trump said on Monday that he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will probably get along very well, and that they were both already communicating.
“Their economy is not doing very well right now, and they need us very badly,” Trump said in an interview with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, when asked if he could deal with China’s Xi — “the only guy that is remotely as strong as the United States”.
Trump went on to describe Xi as a strong and powerful man, who he said was “certainly revered in China”.
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“And I think we will probably get along very well, I predict,” he said. “But you know, it’s got to be a two-way street.”
Repeating accusations he has made previously, Trump said China had been “ripping off” the US economically.
“China is ripping off the United States for a trillion dollars a year… a trillion, one trillion with a T,” Trump said.
He added that he already had a solid and friendly relationship with Xi in his first term, until the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. “Obviously that (Covid) was a gift from China,” Trump said.
When Hewitt noted that the two leaders were likely to have a “an interesting first meeting,” Trump responded: “We’ve already been talking. We’ve been talking through their representatives.”
Trump’s comments come at a time when Chinese policymakers and investors are high on concern about a possible impact from his promised tariffs.
The incoming US president campaigned for the election with a promise to keep a strict stance on China, including by imposing tariffs as high as 60% on imports from the country.
Those promises have infused significant volatility into Chinese equities, and pushed the yuan to a 16-month-low.
Experts say Beijing will have limited scope to manage the impact of Trump’s tariffs, considering the Chinese economy is teetering on the edge of deflation and managing a $16 trillion debt crisis.
Beijing responds
Meanwhile, responding to Trump’s remarks, China’s foreign ministry said Beijing attaches “great importance” to Trump’s remarks.
“China is willing to promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of Sino-US economic and trade relations,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, citing mutual respect and “win-win” cooperation.
Guo did not confirm that any exchanges had been made through the leaders’ aides, but said China and the US had maintained communications through various means.
Trump invited Xi and other foreign leaders to his inauguration in Washington later this month, but experts say the Chinese leader is unlikely to attend.
Trump has named numerous China hawks to key posts in his incoming administration, including Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State.
He has also promised to impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop trafficking of the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl, responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the US.
- Reuters, with additional editing and inputs from Vishakha Saxena
NOTE: A correction was made to Mr Trump’s quote in the 2nd par on January 7, 2024, to ensure it was accurate with what the President-elect said in his interview.
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