BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China said on Wednesday (November 9) that it will work with the new U.S. president to ensure the steady and sound development of bilateral ties.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the remarks at a regular news briefing as Republican Donald Trump moved to the brink of winning the White House.
“We look forward to working together with new U.S. administration to push forward a consistent, healthy and stable China-U.S. relations which could be beneficial to the people of the two countries and the world,” he said.
In his campaign, Trump argued that international trade agreements had hurt U.S. workers and the country’s competitiveness. He has promised to “get tough” on China, withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, which is still not finalized, and renegotiate or scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement, the 1994 free-trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
Trump stunned the world by defeating heavily favored Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, ending eight years of Democratic rule and sending the United States on a new, uncertain path.
A wealthy real-estate developer and former reality TV host, Trump rode a wave of anger toward Washington insiders to win the White House race against Clinton, the Democratic candidate whose gold-plated establishment resume includes stints as a first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state.
Trump, who at 70 will be the oldest first-term U.S. president, came out on top after a bitter and divisive campaign that focused largely on the character of the candidates and whether they could be trusted to serve as the country’s 45th president.
