US, China must 'get along', Xi tells Trump

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday said Beijing and Washington must find a way to "get along" in a message to US president-elect Donald Trump, state media said.

Trump's crushing presidential victory heralded a new era of uncertainty in the United States and the world.

It also heralded a possible shift in US-China relations, frayed in recent years by tensions over everything from trade to the status of the self-ruled island of Taiwan.

In a congratulatory message to Trump, Xi "pointed out that 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," Xi said.

He 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", Xi said.

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.

That proposal could hit $500 billion worth of Chinese exports, asset managers PineBridge Investments have suggested.

In his first message to Trump since the former president secured a second term in office, Chinese leader Xi said he hoped "that both sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation".

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng also sent a message to vice president-elect JD Vance, CCTV said. - AFP