Trump noises

More than 24 hours after Xi Jinping’s phone call with Donald Trump, an article (in Chinese) about the conversation is still one of the top headlines on Chinese state media. There is plenty of other reporting and punditry on the new American president and what he means for China and North Korea, but not much is clear except that Donald Trump has reversed much of his campaign rhetoric, and that China may be willing to give some concessions to the U.S. on trade and North Korea. A sampling of the coverage is below:

• Shanghaiist: After listening to Xi explain Chinese-Korean history for 10 minutes, Trump realizes ‘it’s not so easy’
• Global Times: Trump’s reversal on Chinese currency a welcome move
• People’s Daily (in Chinese): Trump says American government will not label China a ‘currency manipulator’
• People’s Daily (in Chinese): Trump’s ‘Asia Pacific Strategy’ is just an upgraded version of the desire to control Northeast Asia
• Washington Post: Trump says he will not label China currency manipulator, reversing campaign promise
• Wall Street Journal (paywall): Trump says dollar ‘getting too strong,’ won’t label China a currency manipulator
• Wall Street Journal (paywall): Trump says he offered China better trade terms in exchange for help on North Korea

• Why is Xi Jinping giving Guangdong a rare thumbs-up ahead of China’s power reshuffle? / SCMP
• Rewards of up to 5 million yuan offered for terrorism tip-offs by remote area in China’s Xinjiang / SCMP
• China’s nuclear get-out clause over defense of North Korea / SCMP
• Philippines’ Duterte cancels visit to disputed South China Sea island / Reuters
• Opinion: Australia is sleepwalking into a confrontation with China / Sydney Morning Herald
• Book review: China’s ‘trial of the century’ spotlights changes in legal profession / Bloomberg