BEIJING (Kyodo) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Donald Trump on his victory in the U.S. presidential election, stressing the two countries must stabilize relations and find the right way to cooperate in the new era, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Xi told Trump that "stable, sound and sustainable China-U.S. relations serve the interests of both countries and meet the expectations of the international community," according to the ministry.

The Chinese leader called for the two countries to strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences and expand mutually beneficial cooperation, the ministry said.

According to CNN, Trump has described Xi as "a very good friend of mine during my term" between 2017 and 2021, when the world's two biggest economies engaged in a trade war.

During his latest presidential campaign, Trump proposed a 60 percent tariff on imports from China.

Asked about Trump's proposal , Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that she does not respond to hypothetical questions. But she added, "As a matter of principle, a trade war produces no winners and is not beneficial to the world."