Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated President-elect Donald Trump by phone Sunday night and "established a clear sense of mutual respect for one another," reports CNN.
"President-elect Trump stated that he believes the two leaders will have one of the strongest relationships for both countries moving forward," according to a statement from Trump's transition team.
State media in China confirmed the conversation happened and praised the relationship between the two countries, CNN reports. "Bilateral relations have been developing continuously, bringing tangible benefits to peoples of both countries and promoting peace, stability and prosperity on the regional and world level."
According to CNN, the Chinese state media report said Xi stressed to Trump the importance of cooperation, and Trump told Xi they were on the "same side… China is a great and important country, and China's development is remarkable.
"The U.S. and China can achieve mutual benefits and win-win results. I would love to work with you to enhance the cooperation between U.S. and China. I'm sure the Sino-U.S. relations will achieve better development," Trump added.
CNN interviewed residents of China after Trump's win, finding confusion and surprise. "I think the whole idea is bizarre. Western democracy is, too. It's chaotic," one man told the network.
China and the U.S. share $650 billion in trade each year, CNN reports.
The president-elect was critical of China while on the campaign trail, saying, "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country."
According to Reuters, Xi also told Trump that "the facts prove that cooperation is the only correct choice for China and the United States."
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