Donald Trump says he spoke to Xi Jinping for the first time after the election

Bloomberg — Donald Trump said he had an exchange with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in recent days, the first clear indication of direct contact between the two men since the former US president's re-election in November.

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press that aired this weekend and was recorded Friday, Trump said we had communications as recently as last week, without specifying when or what was discussed. The last time they saw each other in person was in June 2019, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan.

Read more: Xi Jinping aspires to peaceful relations with Trump, but clarifies its limits

“I had an agreement with President Xi, who I got along very well with,” Trump said, referring to previous discussions aimed at stemming the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

Trump's statements clearly show that top-level contacts between Beijing and the Trump team have resumed. The exchange with Xi comes after the leaders of Washington's main trading partners – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum – They spoke with Trump last month after his public threats to impose tariffs in retaliation for illegal immigration and the trafficking of drugs like fentanyl.

The world's two largest economies are bracing for another showdown after Trump promised during the campaign to slap 60% tariffs on goods imported from China, a level that would decimate trade between the two.

Read more: Xi says China ready to work with Trump to strengthen ties

The president-elect has appointed several prominent China hawks to key administration positions. Last week, Trump named former Senator David Perdue as US ambassador to China.

Beijing is also exacerbating trade tensions by banning the export of several materials with military and high-tech applications.

Asked about communication between the two leaders at a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: He avoided the question and simply said that China's policy towards the United States was consistent and clear.

We would like to work with the United States according to the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and cooperation, he said.

Ties between the United States and China stabilized last year, with progress in stopping the flow of fentanyl.. Yet last month, Trump accused Beijing of failing to keep its promises and threatened retaliation. for what I view as China's failure to prevent fentanyl from entering the United States.

Read more: Xi calls Trump tariff threats a historic setback

After Trump's election victory, Xi sent him a congratulatory message and expressed his desire to maintain healthy and lasting relations.

This same month, Xi outlined China's four red lines during a meeting with President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima. a message considered to be addressed to Trump.

Xi warned that the United States must avoid any steps that could undermine the Communist Party's grip on power, push the nation toward democracy, stunt its economic growth or encourage Taiwan's independence.

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Relations between Xi and Trump began cordially during the former US president's first term. But he was angered by the trade war and the pandemic, when Trump called Covid-19 the Chinese virus.

Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Xi.

He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist, Trump told comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan in an interview before he was elected. I mean, he's a brilliant guy, whether you like him or not.

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