US election LIVE | Xi congratulates Trump, calls for stronger US-China dialogue

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his election victory and called for China and the US to find the right way to manage the differences by strengthening dialogue and communication.

Xi, in his congratulatory message to Trump, called for the two countries to strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, official media reports said.

“I urge China and the US to expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” Xi said. “I call for the right way for China, and the US to get along in the new era,” he said, adding that both the countries, the top two economies of the world, should strengthen dialogue and communication.

History teaches that China and the United States gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation, Xi said, noting that a stable, sound and sustainable China-US relationship serves the two countries’ shared interests and meets the aspirations of the international community.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation.

In his first term, Trump launched a trade war against China by imposing tariffs on over USD 380 billion on Chinese imports in 2018-19, saying that China is ripping off America. His successor Joe Biden has continued the tariffs, denting China’s profits.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, during a media briefing, dismissed the question on Trump’s campaign promise to sharply raise tariffs on Chinese imports, higher than his first term. “We do not respond to hypothetical questions,” she said.

During his campaign, Trump threatened to impose over 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports which last year accounted for USD 427.2 billion. The China-US relations became tense over a host of policies pursued by Trump including blocking Chinese tech.

He also blamed China for the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the virus emanated from a bio-lab in Wuhan. The military relations between the two countries also remained tense under Trump’s previous presidency.

Former President Barack Obama has suggested that a host of economic conditions were responsible for Kamala Harris’s defeat. “This is obviously not the outcome we had hoped for. But living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won’t always win out, and being willing to accept the peaceful transfer of power,” he said.

Obama also expressed pride in the efforts of Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, who faced a decisive defeat in the election. He described them as “two extraordinary public servants who ran a remarkable campaign.”

“As I said on the campaign trail, America has been through a lot over the last few years — from a historic pandemic and price hikes resulting from the pandemic, to rapid change and the feeling a lot of folks have that, no matter how hard they work, treading water is the best they can do,” Barack Obama said in the statement. “Those conditions have created headwinds for democratic incumbents around the world, and last night showed that America is not immune.

“The good news is that these problems are solvable — but only if we listen to each other, and only if we abide by the core constitutional principles and democratic norms that made this country great,” he said.

Of the view that the comeback of president-elect Donald Trump is the American comeback, entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday said that the country deserves a "badass commander-in-chief" right now and that’s exactly what it got.

Trump, 78, not only won the November 5 presidential elections in both popular votes and electoral college votes but also got the Republican Party control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“Here’s the reason why Donald Trump won by the largest margin of any president in modern history. He’s not an ideologue. He’s not a policy wonk. He’s an American badass. They tried to DQ him, jail him, kill him (twice). None of it worked. Our self-appointed ‘betters’ in the media misunderstood him, underestimated him, doubted him,” Ramaswamy said on Wednesday.

“But not once during this campaign did Trump misunderstand, underestimate, or doubt himself. As everyone at Mar-a-Lago celebrated around him last night, I watched him unfazed, with full conviction that he was exactly where he was destined to be,” he said.

“He’s just like our nation in that way. We’ve always believed it was our manifest destiny to be exceptional, to be the greatest nation on Earth, to show the world what’s possible for humanity to achieve, even when other countries doubted us. Some still do today,” Ramaswamy said.

“But they’re wrong. Trump’s comeback is the American comeback. Our nation deserves a badass commander-in-chief right now and that’s exactly what we got. Funny how well our democracy actually works,” said the former Republican presidential aspirant.

Observing that this election cycle was a divisive one, filled with uncertainty and anxiety about the future of the nation and democracy, the South Asian Bar Association on Wednesday pushed for a comprehensive immigration reform, including improving the H-1B programme.

“This election cycle was a divisive one, filled with uncertainty and anxiety about the future of our nation and democracy,” Keerthi Sugumaran, president of the South Asian Bas Association (SABA) North America and Mona Shah, its executive director, said.

SABA North America said it is committed to working with president-elect Donald Trump and his administration to ensure that the voices of its members are heard on a broad range of policy issues impacting the South Asian community, from racial justice and immigration to religious discrimination, reproductive rights, and the rule of law.

Immigration reform, reproductive justice freedoms and nomination of qualified South Asian attorneys are its key priorities, SABA North America said.

“These issues, which were at the forefront of South Asian voters in this election, will undoubtedly remain key policy issues for the upcoming administration,” it said.

“Pushing for comprehensive immigration reform, as it did in December 2023 when it submitted its comments to USCIS’s proposal for improving the H-1B programme and registration process under the Biden-Harris Administration. Lobbying for reproductive justice freedoms, an issue that uniquely affects Asian American and South Asian American women; and advocating for key endorsements and nominations of qualified South Asian attorneys to the judiciary, including the US Supreme Court,” the press release said.

SABA, it said, remains steadfast in its “support of our members and members of the South Asian community to exercise their fundamental rights and liberties under the Constitution”.

Vice President Kamala Harris has conceded defeat in the US presidential election as she called up President-elect Donald Trump and congratulated on his victory.

Trump won the US presidential election for a second term, handing a shock defeat to Harris, in one of the most remarkable comebacks in American electoral history after he was evicted from power four years back.

Harris “called President-elect Trump to congratulate him on winning the 2024 presidential election”, CNN reported, quoting an official in Harris’s team.

She discussed the importance of a peaceful transfer of power and being a president for all Americans, it said.

Trump is the first president after Grover Cleveland 132 years ago to be evicted from the White House and return to it again four years later.

Eminent Indian Americans have welcomed the re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States and assured to work with him on several issues, including that of the US-India relationship.

“Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his decisive victory. We are in a golden age of American innovation and are committed to working with his administration to help bring the benefits to everyone,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said.

“The American people have spoken. Congratulations to President Trump on a strong win. Now, it’s time for the American people to come together, pray for our country, and start the process of a peaceful transition,” former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said.

“That begins with Kamala Harris conceding. You can’t just talk about unity in a campaign, you have to show it regardless of the outcome,” Haley said.

“What a great day for America! Let’s take a moment to celebrate. Then begins the hard work to get our country back on track!” said former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

“It’s almost morning in America,” said Vivek Ramaswamy, a Trump confidant. “Now let’s go save a country,” he said.

“Congratulations to President Trump. We look forward to working with him and his administration on issues of bilateral importance in the US-India relationship, and on global challenges that the two countries can lead on together,” said M R Rangaswami, founder, Indiaspora, a community engagement platform.

“Congratulations President Elect Trump! America failed to elect its First Women President again! People have voted for a change to handle border issues, economy, immigration, crime, wars! I respect their choice. We did all we can!” said Ajay Jain Bhaturia, a major fundraiser of the Kamala Harris campaign.

New York-based prominent entrepreneur Al Mason said: “God saved Trump from two assassination attempts - there is a reason for the same. Trump is going to be a messiah for the American people and the rest of the world. There will be a very prosperous America, a safer world free of wars. In fact, a golden era begins for the United States of America.”

Dr Krishna Reddy, chair of Indian American Friendship Council, congratulated Trump for the super victory. “This is the beginning of super US-India relations and together we keep the world safe again. This is the great strength of Indian Americans to build a robust economy again and Indian Americans are a great part of this success,” he said.

The India-US relationship is set to expand under the Donald Trump administration, but there could be some unease on issues like imports, tariffs and immigration, strategic affairs experts has said.

The difficult issues between the two sides are likely to be addressed amicably as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump have a great friendship, they said.

In his election campaign, Trump proposed higher tariffs on foreign goods, especially imports from China and vowed to rid the US of all undocumented immigrants by launching a major deportation programme.

Shortly after it became clear that Trump would be the next US President, Capitol Hill veteran and Communication Strategist Anang Mittal said leading figures in the Republican Party and conservative intellectuals consider the future of the India-US relationship as “pivotal” in shaping the 21st century.

A day ahead of the election, Dhruva Jaishankar, the executive director of the America chapter of the Observer Research Foundation, said New Delhi may require some difficult negotiations over trade and immigration with the Trump administration.

“For Trump, I think there will be some difficult negotiations over trade and immigration, although on many other issues he has spoken about a very positive relationship with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he told PTI.

Mittal said Trump will approach India-US ties through his personal relationship with PM Modi and seek bilateral agreements on trade, defence, and foreign direct investment. “Donald Trump’s primary goal will be to reaffirm American credibility with Indo-Pacific partners as he seeks to counterbalance China’s influence in the region,” he said.

“His closeness with Silicon Valley leaders will be a positive, as they aim to expand in Indian markets, leverage the Indian consumer base, and India’s human capital in America’s technology sector,” he said. “A face-to-face meeting may happen at one of the multilateral gatherings next year as Trump visits Europe and Asia,” he said.

Mittal said he is expecting a visit by Trump to India or an invitation for Modi to visit the United States in 2025. “Regardless of minor friction on issues like immigration, trade deficits, or the Indo-Canadian diplomatic spat, the Indo-American strategic partnership will continue to deepen,” he said.

The experts, referring to Trump's tough policy on immigration and tariffs, said India may require some tough conversations with the next administration on these issues.

Under the Biden administration, India-US relations witnessed a major upswing in areas of defence, critical technologies, trade and overall collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. However, the ties came under some stress over the alleged foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

Congratulating president-elect Donald Trump on his stunning electoral victory, a top India centric American business advocacy group has exuded confidence that the new administration will maintain the positive momentum in the India-US relationship.

“During his first administration, President Trump made the Indo-Pacific the preeminent focus for Washington’s foreign policy, with the goal of securing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) said in a statement.

“From that auspicious start, the relationship has continued to flourish with deepening partnership across critical and emerging technologies, clean energy, rebuilding supply chains, fortifying our defences and cementing people-to-people ties,” the USISPF said.

“We are confident that the new Trump administration will maintain the positive momentum in this critical relationship to secure the greatest economic, financial, and national security gains for both countries,” it said.

“We look forward to working with the new administration as it pursues new targets and innovative approaches to strengthen the bilateral relationship between two of the world’s leading democracies,” the USISPF said.

Congratulating Trump on his election victory to become the 47th President of the US, the USISPF said elections are the cornerstone of any democracy and their successful conduct is a powerful reflection of the strength of a nation’s democratic institutions.

“Both the United States and India are fortunate to have the right to vote enshrined in their constitutions, ensuring that citizens’ voices are heard and that democracy continues to thrive,” it said.

US President Joe Biden on Thursday made a phone call to president-elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his victory, the White House said.

Biden also spoke over the phone with Vice President Kamala Harris and congratulated her on her historic campaign, the White House said.

In his call with Trump, Biden expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and emphasised the importance of working to bring the country together.

“He also invited president-elect Trump to meet with him in the White House. The staff will coordinate a specific date in the near future. Tomorrow, President Biden will address the nation to discuss the election results and the transition,” the White House said.

As Americans woke up to the news that Donald J Trump had once again won the White House on Wednesday morning, a palpable mix of emotions enveloped the capital, particularly around the areas surrounding the White House. Supporters, opponents and general visitors gathered at the iconic location, commenting on the outcome of a bitterly fought election.

Jhonathan Kane is a democratic supporter and feels this was a terrible result. He elaborated on how the Democrats made some “terrible” choices that led to this. “I am not very happy with the results. This is a terrible result. Not only for America but for the world at large. This is a very dangerous person that we have given power to again,” he said.

“The Democrats made a terrible choice to continue their support for Israel. Supporting genocide in Palestine didn’t work in the US. They made this choice to appeal to the right wing and that has never worked. They dragged us further and further to the right, and now we have very bad results,” he added.

Weeks ahead of the election results, preparations for Inauguration Day have already been put in place in the nation’s capital. Construction crews in Lafayette Park are putting up the Inauguration Day Parade stand. There are security barriers to usher in the new president on January 20.

Taking no chances this time, the security has put up large black riot fences and concrete barriers currently surrounding parts of Lafayette Park, as well as the sidewalks near the White House.

James Besenger from South Carolina is a Trump supporter and is clearly upbeat about how the results have panned. “I don’t think the results have been surprising. If anyone has been paying attention to the middle class and lower middle class shouldn’t be surprised by this turnout,” he said.

“Democratic party has used and abused minority groups for the last 10 years, and I think they are being exposed now. Donald Trump was an alternative to this, and minority groups have decided to go with that,” he added.

About the future possibilities, James feels it is time that America put itself first before looking after others and Trump could be an answer to that.

“I think it is a great thing for the country, the Republican Party has presented a more coherent idea for the future. I think they have America’s best interests in mind. Every country should put themselves first, I think America should do that. It was about time the country thought for itself first before we took care of everyone else,” he said.

The Ukraine and Palestine wars have been very widely discussed subjects throughout this election. Trump’s supporters feel he would bring an end to these and save America from spending a lot of money on these conflicts. “I don't think the US should be funding wars. I don’t see we have any interest in that. I think the US has made a habit and reputation in funding foreign wars that don’t serve our interest. The people are tired of it and I hope Trump will end both wars,” adds James Besenger.

James also thinks that Trump being at the helm is good news for the business community, and the stock markets this morning in the US are a good sign of that.