China Responds to Trump's First-Day Comments: 'A New Starting Point'

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The newly installed U.S. leader mentioned China repeatedly during his first day on the job.

At the same time, he accused Beijing of benefiting from unfair advantages over the U.S., including climate-related commitments, contributions to the World Health Organization, and shipping fees at the Panama Canal, Trump claimed China is effectively taking advantage of despite the waterway being controlled by Panama since it was transferred by the U.S. more than 50 years ago.

with whom he spoke on Friday over the phone.

China sought to engage with the new White House on mutually beneficial terms to find areas for collaboration.

The United States will work with China, under the strategic leadership of America's new government and China's leaders, based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and mutual benefit, to maintain open communication, expand cooperation, manage differences effectively, and achieve even greater progress in US-China relations, starting anew.

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The Panama Canal

In his only mention of China during his Inauguration address, which was attended by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Trump claimed that "China operates the Panama Canal, and we didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back."

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I completely disagree with the statements made by President Donald Trump about Panama and its Canal in his inaugural address," Mulino said in a statement shortly after Trump spoke. "Once again, I'd like to remind everyone of what I said in my message to the nation on December 22: the Canal remains under Panamanian control and its permanent neutrality will be respected.

"The presence of any other nation interfering with our administration does not exist," the Central American leader said.

TikTok

Ruling rooted in concerns over national security and user data privacy, and its ties to the Chinese government, TikTok went offline across the US late Saturday. Users received a message expressing the hope that Trump would "work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office."

to delay TikTok's restricted status by 75 days in an effort to block the federal ban.

Trump stated that he would seek a 50-50 partnership between TikTok's current parent company, the China-based ByteDance, and a U.S. entity.

Asked why he now apparently holds a different view on the issue than he did in the past, when he had advocated for TikTok to either be sold to an American company or taken off the US market altogether, a position echoed by many prominent conservatives, Trump explained that he had a change of heart after becoming a regular user of TikTok himself, attributing his new stance to his success in winning over young voters.

I suppose I've developed a soft spot for TikTok that I hadn't felt at first," Trump said at the White House press briefing. "However, after trying it out, I was able to increase my support by 36%.

He also played down the alleged security concerns, saying he thought the U.S. had "bigger problems" than being worried about China getting "information about young kids."

Trade

Trump's long-standing complaints about the US-China trade deficit led him to launch a successful trade war against the world's second-largest economy during his first term in office. He took this position with him on the campaign trail, promising to impose tariffs as high as 60 percent on goods coming into the US from China.

However, as President Trump promised to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from neighboring Canada and Mexico starting on February 1, he avoided making a commitment to take action against China until after discussing the issue further.

We're going to have conferences and conversations with Chinese President Xi.

However, Trump did sign an executive order calling for a broad review of the country's trade policies and the creation of a new agency, the External Revenue Service. He also mentioned that he might implement a universal tariff system nationwide.

Traveling to China

A report was made on Saturday that Trump told his advisors he plans to visit China within 100 days of becoming president. When asked by reporters if the trip is still on tap for this year, Trump responded, "It could happen, I've had them invite me."

During Trump's previous presidency, he visited China in November of 2017. He'd also met with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in April of the same year, also doing so again in Germany in July. After that, he again met with the Chinese leader in Argentina in December of 2018, and in Japan during June of 2019.

On several instances, including a call three days prior to the inauguration, he brought up his relationship with Xi.

Trump-Xi Call

Trump described his conversation with Xi as "a very good one for both China and the U.S.A." in a post published that same day on his Truth Social platform.

I expect we'll resolve many issues together, starting right away," Trump wrote. "We covered trade, the issue of fentanyl, TikTok and other matters. President Xi and I are committed to making the world a more peaceful and secure place.

Liu provided additional information about their conversation, during which "the two leaders agreed to set up a strategic communication channel and keep in regular contact to address major issues of mutual concern between the two countries"

"The President highlighted that both China and the United States highly value mutual engagement and are looking forward to a promising new beginning in China-US relations during the new US presidency," Liu said.

Liu said the Chinese leader emphasized that "as two major countries with different national circumstances, it is unavoidable that there will be some differences between China and the United States," yet "the key is to respect each other's core interests and major concerns and find a way to properly resolve the issue."

There has been an increase in discussions about Taiwan, which is an island that is governed independently but has been claimed by China. The U.S. has been providing Taiwan with growing military and diplomatic support.

The issue related to Taiwan is a matter of China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity. It's hoped that the US will approach it with caution," Liu said. "At its core, China-US economic and trade ties are built on mutual benefit and achieving success for both sides, and confrontation or conflict should never be an option.

As Trump's assumption of the presidency marks yet another potential turning point for US-China relations, which have been dominated by a global great power rivalry, Liu advocates for increased cooperation between the two nations.

The two countries should strengthen cooperation, achieving major, practical, and beneficial goals for both nations and the world," Liu said, "so the huge ships of China and the United States can continue sailing smoothly, fostering a path of steady, healthy, and sustainable growth.

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