Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday Beijing and Washington must find a way to “get along” in a message to US president-elect Donald Trump, state media reported.
Trump’s crushing presidential victory ushers in a new era of uncertainty in the United States and the world, and heralds a possible shift in US-China relations, frayed in recent years by tensions over everything from trade to the status of self-ruled Taiwan.
In his first message to Trump since the former president secured a second term, Xi said, “History has shown that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and suffer from confrontation,” state broadcaster CCTV said.
“A stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relationship is in the common interest of both countries and is in line with the expectations of the international community,” he added.
Xi called for Washington and Beijing to “strengthen dialogue and communication” and “properly manage differences.”
The two countries must “find a correct way... to get along in this new era, to benefit both countries and the world.”
Philippine reactions
Trump on Tuesday thanked Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for being among the first to welcome his return to the White House. Marcos’ predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, along with several Filipino senators, waxed optimistic on Trump’s victory.
“I look forward to the success of your administration and to our shared aspirations for greater peace and prosperity for our countries and people,” Duterte told Trump.
In a statement, Senator Loren Legarda said she is hopeful that the alliance between the US and the Philippines under the Trump administration would deepen further.
“Our diplomatic and defense alliance with the United States has long served as a pillar of stability in the Asia-Pacific, guided by shared aspirations for peace, security, and respect for sovereignty,” she said.
“I am hopeful that under the new US administration, we can further deepen cooperation, particularly in areas of mutual interest such as economic resilience, climate action, and regional security,” she added.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, likewise, expressed confidence in “stronger and more dynamic” US-Philippines relations under “Trump 2.0.”
He said the election of Trump with a clear and commanding mandate should bring healing and stability to the United States which, in recent years, has been polarized by diverging opinions over politics and the economy.
“Trump’s focus on revitalizing the American economy should extend to greater stability in global affairs, which should augur well for the Philippines,” Tolentio said.
Watch party
Tolentino was among the personalities invited by the US Embassy to join the US Presidential Elections watch party held in Makati on Wednesday.
His former party-mate, Senator Robin Padilla, who also attended the US election watch party, earlier said the Trump administration would be better for Filipinos.
“I believe in American democracy. I admire the American Revolution, but of course, we always stand by what is best for the Philippines because we’re not pro-American; we’re pro-Philippines,” he said in an interview.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go also extended his congratulations to Trump, expressing hope for deeper bilateral relations that would benefit both Filipino and American communities, especially those of Filipino descent in the United States.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also sent a message to vice president-elect JD Vance, CCTV said.
During the campaign, both Republican Trump and his Democratic rival Kamala Harris had pledged to get tougher on Beijing.
But Trump upped the ante, vowing to slap 60-percent tariffs on all Chinese goods entering the United States.
The president-elect aims to “restore some level of balance in the US-China trade,” Yun Sun, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told AFP. “Given his art of ‘maximum pressure’ before striking a deal, I do expect him to impose the tariff,” Yun said.
‘Mutual respect’
On Thursday, the Chinese leader said he hoped “that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
Beijing this week declared its hope that the two countries could enjoy a “peaceful coexistence” in the future, while remaining tight-lipped on how precisely the mercurial magnate’s victory could affect ties.
Xi and Trump had previously met four times, and the former president has touted his “very strong relationship” with the Chinese leader.
He has also claimed he would be able to talk Xi out of an attack on self-ruled Taiwan with threats of 150-percent tariffs.
Analysts had said the election outcome would be a key focus of this week’s gathering of top lawmakers in Beijing, aimed at ironing out a stimulus plan to boost China’s struggling economy.
Chief among the concerns will be how Beijing will respond to Trump’s expected huge tariff hike, which asset managers PineBridge Investments have suggested could hit $500-billion worth of Chinese exports.
“We expect the Chinese government to respond with limited retaliation and more domestic policy support for the economy, to partially offset the negative impact,” Tao Wang, chief China economist at UBS Investment Research, told AFP.