Japan, China leaders congratulate Trump on becoming US president-elect

TOKYO, Nov 9 (KUNA) -- Japanese and Chinese leaders congratulated Republican Donald Trump on winning the US presidential election, the two governments said.
In a congratulatory message to Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conveyed his wish to jointly work hand-in-hand to address the various challenges the world confronts, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
"The stability of the Asia-Pacific region, which is a driving force of the global economy, brings peace and prosperity to the US. Japan and the US are unwavering allies tied firmly with the bond of universal values such as freedom, democracy, basic human rights, and the rule of law," Abe said in the message.
"I very much look forward to closely cooperating with you to further strengthen the bond of the Japan-US Alliance, as well as for our two countries to play leading roles for assuring peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," the premier said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also congratulated Trump, and said he hopes they could work together to boost China-US relations so as to better benefit peoples around the world, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
In his congratulatory message, Xi said that while China is the world's largest developing country and the US the largest developed power, both, as the world's top economies, bear the special responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability and boosting global development and prosperity, and share extensive interests. Republican presidential nominee Trump, 70, won the November 8 presidential election in the US and is set to succeed Democratic Barack Obama as the next US president. (end) mk.nfm