Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a news conference after talks with New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully (not pictured) in Beijing, China, October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - China is ready to improve relations with the United States following the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

“We want to improve our relations under the Trump administration,” Wang said through a translator at a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart in Ankara, where he was on an official visit.

“We are ready to improve U.S. ties through mutual understanding.”

Trump has taken a tough stance on China in the run-up to the election, saying that unfair trade deals with Beijing had caused a widespread decline in American manufacturing and economic prowess.