The incoming U.S. president said after his phone call with Xi Jinping, "I hope we can solve many problems together."

US President-elect Donald Trump said he had a "good" phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, suggesting Washington and Beijing would work to resolve various issues going forward.

Friday's call came three days before Trump returns to the White House with a pledge to impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese imports.

Trump's trade policies could worsen already tense relations between the United States and China. High tariffs on Chinese goods could raise prices for U.S. consumers, harm the Chinese economy and spark a trade war between the two countries.

But the incoming U.S. president expressed optimism about the future of relations with China.

"I expect we can solve many problems together and start immediately. We discussed balanced trade, fentanyl, TikTok and many other topics," Trump wrote in a social media post.

"President Xi and I will do everything we can to make the world a more peaceful and secure place."

The U.S. Congress last year passed a bill banning TikTok, a video platform owned by a Chinese parent company, citing privacy and content manipulation concerns.

But Trump aides say the president-elect is evaluating options to save the popular platform from a federal ban.

Relations between Beijing and Washington have soured in recent years over a number of tense issues, including trade, Taiwan's status, South China Sea claims and ongoing U.S. efforts to curb China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Trump made competition with China a centerpiece of foreign policy during his first term, often complaining that Beijing's trade policies were unfair.

Washington runs a huge trade deficit with Beijing. Last year, China's exports to the United States totaled about $401 billion, while imports from the United States totaled $130 billion.

Trump's successor, Joe Biden, has also prioritized competition with China and sought to deepen U.S. ties with allies in the Asia-Pacific.

The United States has accused China of conducting cyber attacks and flying spy balloons over China over the past two years, accusations Beijing has denied.

In the most recent U.S. National Security Strategy, a document released every four years outlining U.S. international interests, the Biden administration called Beijing "the most important geopolitical challenge" to Washington.

The report added that the United States "is in the midst of a strategic competition that will shape the future of the international order."

Trump has appointed many China hawks in the incoming administration, including Senator Marco Rubio, who has been sanctioned by China, as his secretary of state, the top U.S. diplomat.

During his Senate confirmation hearing earlier this week, Rubio called China the "biggest threat" to U.S. prosperity.

"If we don't change course, we will live in a world where the things that matter to us every day, from our security to our health, will depend on whether China allows us to have it," he said.

Still, U.S. and Chinese officials often stress that they are not seeking another Cold War.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that we view and handle Sino-US relations based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation proposed by President Xi Jinping, and resolutely safeguard our sovereignty, security, and development interests. spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters Thursday.