Trump Calls Communication With Chinese President Xi Jinping Through Intermediaries

JAKARTA - United States President-elect Donald Trump on Monday said he had established communication with Chinese President Xi Jinping through intermediaries and believed they would get along.

"We have spoken. We have spoken through their representatives," Trump said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt.

Trump, who will take office on January 20, described Xi as a strong and powerful man who he said was respected in China.

"And I thought we might get along, I predicted," he said.

"But you know, it should be a two-way way," Trump added, repeating allegations that the Bamboo Curtain Country had "robbed" Uncle Sam's country economically.

Trump invited President Xi and other foreign leaders to his inauguration in Washington this month, but experts say the Chinese leader is unlikely to attend.

On the other hand, Trump has appointed many hardline Chinese figures to occupy important positions in his upcoming government, including Senator Marco Rubio as Foreign Minister.

Trump also said he would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese goods, unless Beijing did more to stop the highly addictive trade in fentanyl narcotics.

The Republican president threatened to charge more than 60 percent of China's goods while campaigning.