Donald Trump has told advisers he wants to travel to China after taking office, according to people familiar with the discussions, as he seeks to deepen a relationship with Xi Jinping strained by tariff threats.

Beijing is taking a two-pronged approach to the incoming president: trying to sweeten up Trump while also signaling it is ready to fight efforts to constrain it.

Wu, a former visiting scholar at George Washington University and the Brookings Institution, said the Trump phenomenon has deep roots in a politically polarized and socially fragmented America that emerged in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. He emphasized the importance of dialogue and people-to-people exchanges.