U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, discussing trade, the war in Ukraine, and relations with Taiwan. This was reported by Trump and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
China's stance on Taiwan
During the conversation, Xi emphasized the return of Taiwan to China as "an integral part of the post-war international order." According to Chinese officials, the United States understands how important the Taiwan issue is to China.
The conversation took place against a backdrop of rising tensions between China and Japan over the future of self-governing Taiwan – a former Japanese territory that the PRC considers its own. Japanese officials earlier this month said any military action against Taiwan would be met with a forceful response from Japan. China called this a crossing of a "red line."
"Given what is happening, it is even more important for us to jointly defend the victory in World War II"
– Chinese officials said.
Mutual invitations
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Xi invited him to visit Beijing in April, and that he accepted the invitation. The U.S. president also invited the Chinese leader to pay a state visit to the United States later this year.
This will be Xi's first trip to America since Trump's return to office. He last visited the country in 2023 during the Joe Biden administration to attend a U.S.-China summit in California.
Trade and fentanyl
Trump called the conversation a continuation of their meeting last month. They discussed the war in Ukraine, soybean exports, and fentanyl.
Xi highlighted the "successful" October meeting, during which the leaders reached a one-year trade truce in the tariff dispute. According to him, U.S.-China relations have maintained a "stable and positive trajectory" since the summit.
After the October meeting, the Chinese government agreed to lift export restrictions on certain critical materials, stop exporting chemicals to North America used in fentanyl production, and restore the flow of automotive semiconductors.
Position on Ukraine
Trump and Xi also discussed the war in Ukraine. Xi emphasized China's support for "all efforts that contribute to peace."
Context
Tensions between Trump and Xi appear to have eased after the October meeting. However, U.S. officials are concerned that nothing prevents China from withdrawing from the agreement if it no longer serves its interests.
