Trump and Xi's Phone Call

choi

In reverse chronological order. But, please read (2) first.

(1) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang's Regular Press Conference on February 10, 2017.
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/ ... 5401/t1437570.shtml

My comment: The spokesman does not elucidate much beyond the official releases. Mr Lu's first answer mentions "press releases" by both US and China: "You may have noted that both the Chinese and the US sides have issued press releases on it." However, US does not identify its own as "press release," but as a "readout" (whose definition I fail to find on the Web). It is 12 noon, Monday, Feb 10. neither the White House nor Department of State has held press briefing (t least has not published the transcripts)..

(2)
(a) Readout of the President’s Call with President Xi Jinping of China. White House, Feb 9, 2017
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-p ... nt-xi-jinping-china
("had a lengthy telephone conversation on Thursday [Feb 9] evening")
(b) 习近平同美国总统特朗普通电话. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, People's Repuiblic of China, Feb 10, 2017 (which issues no English version).
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/zyxw/t1437404.shtml

Note:
(a) The readout, as with readouts of president Trump's phone calls with other leaders of the world, is displayed in the "Statements and Releases" of the pulldown menu under the button "Briefing Room" of the top horizontal bar, in the Whitehouse.gov home page.
(b) Neither the US readout not China's release mentions South China Sea. I say this because there are two consecutive Q&A in (1) that foreign press asked the spokesman specifically about this sea. Here is the pertinent portion of the first Q&A (again Mr Lu's answer was evasive):

Q: " * * * Did President Xi Jinping and President Trump discuss the South China Sea issue in their phone call today?

A: " * * * both sides issued press releases on the phone call this morning, which, I believe, have reached you. As for the specific issue you mentioned, China has made its position very clear.

(3) 傅才德, 特朗普致信习近平：期待建设性中美关系.
http://cn.nytimes.com/asia-pacif ... -xi-jinping-letter/

, which is translated from

Mark Landler and Michael Forsythe, China's President, Stung by Taiwan Call, Is Said to Shun Trump; A reaction to remarks casting doubt on the 'One China' policy. New York Times, Feb 10, 2017 (front-page second highest report).

My comment:
(a) The NYT has edited the English-language report, so the published version in US is somewhat different from the (English-language) one shown in cn.nytimes.com.  
(b) However, I can not show you, online, the printed version, because www.nytimes.com has revised (or updated, according to your view points) the online version, in both title (the current title "in print" per Nytimes.com is: "After Silence From Xi, Trump Endorses the 'One China' Policy") and contents. The first two paragraphs of the printed version, at least in Boston, is as follows:

"When the White House announced this week that President Trump had sent President Xi Jinping a letter wishing him a happy Chinese New Year, it did not disclose a major reason for the friendly gesture: Mr Xi has not gotten on the phone with Mr Trump.  * * * [US] Administration officials say they believe he [Xi] will only do so [placing a phone call to or receiving a phone call from Trump] after Mr Trump publicly commits to recognizing a single Chinese government in Beijing.

(c) I fail to locate President Trump's Chinese New Year Greeting to Xi, whose contents are widely reported in American news media. The Associated Press said it was released "8:40 pm" that day. See

The Latest: Trump wishes China a prosperous new year. AP, Feb 8, 2017 (9:03 pm).
http://www.usnews.com/news/polit ... ems-over-his-agenda

introduction and paragraph 1 is below:

`````
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EST):

8:40 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump has written Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) to wish the "Chinese people a happy Lantern Festival and prosperous Year of the Rooster."

The White House says Trump wrote Xi to thank him for a congratulatory letter and to express his hopes of developing "a constructive relationship that benefits both the United States and China."

Before taking office, Trump questioned the "one-China policy" that shifted U.S. recognition from self-governing Taiwan to China in 1979. He said it was open to negotiation.

Trump also wants to pressure Beijing to narrow its trade surplus with the U.S.

(d) The next day when asked about the significance of the congratulatory letter, Whie House press secretary was also evasive.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 2/9/2017, #11
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-p ... an-spicer-292017-11

the relevant Q&A:

"Q    Thank you.  Regarding the very nice letter that President Trump sent to President Xi Jinping last night, I'm curious about the timing.  And also in the letter, President Trump said he's looking forward to the event of constructive relationship with China.  So could you elaborate the importance of this bilateral relationship to the US?

"MR SPICER:  Well, I think it's obviously important to us.  And the President understands that.  I think he's spoken fairly often about China, and he understands both the national and economic interests that we have, the desire for our companies to access the Chinese market, but also the national security interests that we have.  And so he obviously wants to do what he can to have a fruitful and constructive relationship with China, and he looks forward to developing that as we go forward.