WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Vice President-elect JD Vance met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on Sunday, a day before he and President-elect Donald Trump are to be sworn in.
Vance and Han discussed a range of topics including fentanyl, balancing trade and regional stability, the Trump-Vance transition team said in a statement.
Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the inauguration after winning last year’s presidential election. Xi sent Han instead.
Vance’s meeting with Han followed a recent phone call between Trump and Xi. During the call, the two leaders discussed issues including TikTok, trade and Taiwan.
It was the first known phone conversation between the two since Trump’s election in November.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that Trump has told advisers he wants to travel to China after taking office.
If the trip happens, it would be his second visit to China as president. In 2017, Trump traveled to Beijing during a trip to Asia where he visited several other countries.
