US President-elect Trump confirmed recent communication with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first direct contact since Trump’s reelection. Trump mentioned a conversation as recent as last week but did not specify the details. Tensions are expected to rise, especially after Trump’s campaign promise of imposing 60% tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump has also appointed a number of China hawks to key positions, including David Perdue as US ambassador to China. China has retaliated by banning the export of certain materials.