In Washington, D.C., on the eve of President Trump’s inauguration, China’s Vice President Han Zheng met with the U.S. vice president-elect and prominent American business leaders. These discussions addressed ongoing trade and technological tensions between the two nations.
According to Trump’s transition team, Han Zheng, serving as an envoy for President Xi Jinping at the inauguration, held talks with J.D. Vance, covering topics such as fentanyl, trade balance, and regional stability.
A statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday noted that Han emphasized the extensive shared interests and significant potential for cooperation between the U.S. and China in economic and trade matters, despite existing disagreements and friction.
President Trump has indicated plans for additional tariffs and other measures in his second term, while also suggesting potential areas of cooperation with China on issues such as regional conflicts and curbing fentanyl exports.
In an unprecedented move, President Trump invited President Xi Jinping to his inauguration. State Department records indicate that no other head of state has previously made an official visit for a U.S. presidential inauguration.
While President Xi will not attend, he and President Trump spoke by phone on Friday, discussing trade, fentanyl, and TikTok. Service for the Chinese social media app, TikTok, was restored in the U.S. on Sunday, shortly after being suspended in response to executive actions; President Trump stated he would pause these actions via executive order on Monday.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also reported that Han Zheng met with Elon Musk and other leading U.S. business executives, including representatives from the U.S.-China Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Chinese vice president reaffirmed China’s commitment to improving the business environment for foreign companies and expressed hope for continued U.S. investment in China.
Following the meeting, Musk, whose Tesla company operates a factory in Shanghai, stated his long-standing opposition to the TikTok ban, citing free speech concerns.
He further commented that the current situation, where TikTok operates in the U.S. while X (formerly Twitter) is blocked in China, is unbalanced, requiring adjustments.
X, along with other major U.S. social media and news platforms including YouTube, Google, Facebook, and numerous prominent U.S. media outlets, remains inaccessible in China.