BEIJING, January 20. /TASS/. Beijing and Washington expect progress in their relations, considering the advent of the Trump administration as a new starting point, reads a comment in the Beijing-based Global Times newspaper, which usually expresses the official viewpoint of the Chinese leadership. The daily optimistically comments on the telephone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President-elect Donald Trump, which took place at the latter's request.
"At a critical juncture as the entire world is watching how the two major countries - China and the US - will navigate their future relationship, this phone call was particularly significant," the article emphasizes. "The leaders of both countries began direct communication and exchanged views on major issues at such an early stage, and agreed to establish strategic communication channels. This indicates that both sides hope to achieve greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point," it said.
According to Global Times, the conversation between the two leaders "set the tone for the direction of China-US relations in the coming period." The periodical considers the reaction of business circles as important: "traders quickly snapped up exchange-traded funds linked to Chinese stock indexes," which, according to the Chinese newspaper, indirectly reflects how sensitive and hopeful the world is about the possibility of a good start to China-US relations.
China also noted that Trump expressed a willingness to visit China early in his second term.
"We appreciate that the president-elect views China-US relations from a global perspective and treats China's development in a pragmatic manner based on public opinion on certain issues. If both countries focus their policies on managing their own affairs well and enhancing the sense of gain and happiness of their people, they will surely find that cooperation and mutual benefit, rather than wasting resources on unnecessary confrontation and conflict, should be the steadfast direction of China-US relations," Global Times says.
"As two major countries with different national conditions, it is inevitable that there will be some differences between China and the US," the comment reads, but calls, nevertheless, for respect for each other's core interests and major concerns. Among these core interests are the Taiwan issue - "a red line that China cannot allow to be challenged" - and the development of mutually beneficial economic relations. "These points serve as a necessary and timely reminder for the new US administration in formulating its policy toward China," the Global Times concludes.