China in touch with Trump’s team, open to meeting at Davos

China and US president-elect Donald Trump’s team enjoy a “smooth” communication channel and Beijing is open to a meeting between the two sides at this month’s World Economic Forum, a senior Chinese official has said.

“China has good contact with the present US government, and also has a smooth communication channel with Trump’s team,” deputy foreign affairs Li Baodong said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Li was responding to a query by the South China Morning Post on the possibility of a bilateral meeting between President Xi Jinping and Trump’s team members when they attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later this month.

As the first Chinese head of state to attend the winter gathering of political leaders and business executives in Davos, Xi is keen to present a China route on navigating economic globalisation amid outsiders’ criticism of the country’s rising protectionism.

Beijing hoped to present its proposals to promote economic globalisation along a more inclusive path, and to analyse and seek direction on how to the weather the global economic difficulties that lay ahead, Li said.

Attending the Davos forum, which takes place ahead of Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president of the United States on January 20, is part of Xi’s state visit to Switzerland from January 15 to 18.

World Economic Forum executive chairman Klaus Schwab said “someone from the transition team representing the new [Trump] administration” would attend the forum. American Vice-President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry would also be there.

“During the annual meeting in Davos, China is willing to exchange ideas with all parties [at the forum],” Li said, adding that bilateral meetings were still being discussed.

“As long as both sides have the time and willingness, we are willing to arrange for meetings.”

Commenting on why Xi had broken with China’s past practice of sending a deputy or premier to Davos and decided to attend the forum himself, Li said the head of state’s attendance came after “years of invitations from WEF executive chairman Klaus Schwab”.

Xi attached great importance to global trade, the senior official said, adding that the president would deliver a speech during the opening ceremony and have “candid, open” exchanges with all parties at the forum to address challenges and other big issues in the global economy.

The global economy is facing a dark outlook with Trump’s pronounced disdain for international trade deals and growing risk of US trade confrontation with China and Mexico as Trump seeks to create more jobs domestically to “make America great again”.

Foreign businesses in China have criticised Beijing for restricting their market access and giving their Chinese rivals an unfair advantage over them. China has also been accused of dumping its excess manufacturing products in the global market.

Li said China had always been opposed to trade protectionism. Xi would share experiences of China’s economic reforms during the forum and let the world have an “objective understanding” of the Chinese economy, he said.

China has long regarded the World Economic Forum as a global platform for it to voice its views. Chinese premiers have led delegations and spoken at previous years’ events – either the winter session in Davos or the summer one in Tianjin or Dalian.

Last year, Vice-President Li Yuanchao attended the Davos forum instead of Premier Li Keqiang. At that time, Chinese capital markets were reeling from a failed attempt to stem dramatic swings in its stocks and struggling with massive capital flight.

Source: south China morning post