Cooperation only right choice to strengthen ties: Xi Jinping to Trump

Xi Jinping said tangible benefits have been brought to the people of the two nations in over 37 years of diplomatic relations

Beijing, Nov 14: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told US President-elect Donald Trump that cooperation was the "only right choice" to bolster ties between the two major powers, in the first contact with the US President-elect who in his campaign had accused China of snatching American jobs.

In his first telephonic conversation since Trump won the US presidential election last week, Xi congratulated him on his election victory, state-run CCTV reported.

Xi said tangible benefits have been brought to the people of the two nations in over 37 years of diplomatic relations. He said "cooperation has proven to be the only right choice" and reaffirmed that China attaches great importance to relations with the US, and is willing to cooperate with America, the channel reported.

Trump said he agreed about US-China relations and hopes for mutual benefits and win-win results. He also expressed willingness to strengthen ties. "The two agreed to maintain close contact and build a good working relationship," it added.

Earlier, Xi had congratulated Trump on November 9 soon after his victory and called for cooperation between the two economies to maintain global peace and stability as well as improving bilateral ties shunning confrontation.

In his earlier message to Trump, Xi hoped they could work together to boost China-US relations so as to better benefit peoples around the world.

Also read: Want to focus on jobs than appoint special prosecutor: Trump

While China is the world's largest developing country and the US, the largest developed power, both, as the world's top economies, bear the special responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability and boosting global development and prosperity, and share extensive interests, Xi had said.

Also Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday said China stands ready to further promote its relations with the US on the "new starting point" following Trump's election.

Beijing was ready to push forward China-US ties on new starting point, state-run Xinhua quoted Wang, who is currently touring Turkey, as saying. Asked whether China has made contact with Trump's team, Wang told the media in Ankara that China maintains close contact with the US side at various levels.

China is willing to continue its cooperation with the administration of outgoing US President Barack Obama, so as to ensure a smooth transition of bilateral ties to the next US administration, Xinhua quoted Wang as saying.

Meanwhile, Beijing also stands ready to communicate with Trump's team, so as to cement mutual understanding and expand consensus on bilateral cooperation, Wang said. He said Xi's message to Trump has charted the course for the future development of China-US ties, and China is ready to make joint efforts with the US side to that end, said the minister.

During the campaign, Trump had accused China of snatching the jobs of the Americans. He had earlier claimed that Americans are living through the "greatest jobs theft" in the history of the world, saying US companies were moving out jobs to countries like China, Mexico and Singapore.

PTI