WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump has expressed interest in visiting China as president within the first 100 days of his second term in office, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions, signalling a possible shift in US-China relations.
According to the WSJ report, Trump shared his intentions during discussions with advisers, but no decision has been made so far.
Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke by phone on January 17.
China’s official account of Friday’s phone call between Trump and Xi said the two leaders agreed to establish a “strategic communication channel”.
The Chinese report also quoted Trump as telling the Chinese leader that he “looks forward to meeting with President Xi as soon as possible”.
People close to Chinese decision-making said Trump and Xi have discussed a face-to-face meeting through their representatives. One option is for Trump to invite the Chinese leader to the United States, the WSJ reported.
Trump is set to be sworn in for a second term on Monday. He visited Beijing in 2017, less than one year into his first four-year term.
On Friday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced that at the invitation of the US side, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative, Vice-President Han Zheng, will attend Trump’s inauguration ceremony on January 20 in Washington, D.C.
The WSJ reports that Trump will initially focus on domestic travel within the United States. He is expected to travel the country in his first week in office to promote executive orders he plans to sign, including in the energy sector.
Trump is also reportedly planning to visit Los Angeles, California, where massive wildfires have erupted.
US-China relations
In recent years, trade tensions between China and the United States have been escalating. They are expressed in mutual tariffs, restrictions on imports and exports, as well as in the competition for technological leadership.
Both Beijing and Washington actively influence international trade. During the election campaign, Trump promised to impose tariffs on foreign goods, including from China.
