The United States President-elect Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday evening, as Chinese state media CCTV reported. The call, which took place, comes just three days before Trump's

inauguration ceremony

on January 20.
The president-elect confirmed on Truth Social that he had a conversation with Xi, describing the call as "very good for both China and the USA."
Trump stated that their discussion covered topics such as trade, fentanyl, and TikTok, among others.

"President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the world more peaceful and safe!" he added.
While Trump has previously threatened to impose 60 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports into the US, he has also praised his relationship with Xi and suggested that China could play a role in mediating international crises, such as the war in Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, China announced that President Xi Jinping will not attend Trump’s inauguration but has appointed vice president

Han Zheng

as his special representative.
According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, this marks the first time a senior Chinese official will attend a US presidential swearing-in ceremony.
The Chinese foreign ministry announced the decision, also specified the importance of fostering a stable and cooperative relationship between the two nations. “We stand ready to work with the new US government to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly pursue a stable, healthy, and sustainable China-US relationship,” said a ministry spokesperson.
The invitation to Xi was an unusual gesture from Trump, breaking with tradition since heads of state typically do not make official visits to the US for inaugurations.
During his first term, Trump engaged in a contentious

trade war

with China, imposing heavy tariffs on imports from the world’s second-largest economy.
In addition to China’s vice president, other international leaders have also announced plans to attend the ceremony.
Argentinian President Javier Milei and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni are among the invitees, while Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña have confirmed their participation.