New U.S. President Donald Trump could inadvertently start a trade war with China with his policies. (Photo : Getty Images)
The 45th U.S. President Donald Trump was warned by Alibaba's Jack Ma to work with China and not against it.
The founder and CEO of Alibaba said that contrary to Donald Trump's victory speech, the new president should work for a "healthy and positive relationship."
Ma added, "But if they don't work with each other it's going to be [a] disaster."
"I don't fear [a Trump presidency], I think a healthy and positive China-U.S. relationship is so critical," he said.
Trump said that he will state that China is a currency manipulator and will impose punitive tariffs on China's exports to the U.S.
However, Ma is optimistic that that Trump will not carry through with the threats he made against China. The tycoon said that that the U.S. President will realize that his campaign rhetoric is not all applicable in real life.
"Every time they talk about it. But I think when they become president, when he has that burden . . . the world is not as simple as he thought," he said.
Ma also stated, "He's a smart person, he will adjust. He will never neglect the relationship between China and America."
Donald Trump, the Hollywood star, and the newly elected president, became known for his anti-China sentiments. Ma thinks that Trump should realize that there are a lot of cultural differences between China and the U.S.
Some analysts from China believe that many still favor Trump over Clinton.
"Trump is not going to be as harsh on human rights as Hillary Clinton would have been," said Zhang Ming, a professor at the Institute of Political Studies at Renmin University in Beijing.
