US President Donald Trump has broken the ice with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a letter that said he looked forward to working with him to develop constructive relations, although the pair haven’t spoken directly since Trump took office. Aljazeera reports.
Trump also issued belated well-wishes to China for the Lunar New Year, the most important holiday in the world’s most populous nation. He had been the only US president in recent years not to have issued greetings when the holiday fell on January 28, triggering speculation in China as to whether it was an oversight or an intentional slight.
A statement from the White House late on Wednesday said Trump wrote to Xi wishing the Chinese people greetings for the new year and the Lantern Festival that falls on Saturday.
“President Trump stated that he looks forward to working with President Xi to develop a constructive relationship that benefits both the United States and China,” the statement said.
