Trump Announces He Is Set to Go to China in the Month of April Following Phone Conversation with Xi Jinping
President Donald Trump has stated that he plans to go to Beijing in the month of April and asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for a diplomatic trip in the coming year, following a discussion between the two leaders.
Trump and Xi—who convened nearly a month ago in the Republic of Korea—covered a variety of topics including commerce, the situation in Ukraine, the opioid crisis, and Taiwan, according to the president and Beijing's diplomatic corps.
"The U.S.-China ties is extremely strong!" Trump stated in a Truth Social post.
Official Chinese media released a statement that indicated both nations should "keep up the momentum, proceed in the correct path on the principle of parity, esteem and shared interests".
Earlier Talks and Economic Agreements
The officials held discussions in the South Korean city of Busan in the fall, following which they agreed to a truce on tariffs. The United States opted to reduce a import tax by half intended to decrease the movement of fentanyl.
Tariffs continue on products from China and average close to half.
"From that point, the China-US relationship has largely sustained a steady and positive trajectory, and this is appreciated by the each side and the broader international community," the official comment noted.
- The US then retracted a potential imposition of full extra duties on products, while the Chinese government delayed its scheme to introduce its latest round of restrictions on rare earths.
Commerce Discussions
The administration's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said that the phone discussion with Xi—which went on for an hour—was mainly about economic issues.
"The U.S. is happy with what we've witnessed from the Chinese, and they feel the same way," she noted.
Broader Topics
Along with addressing trade, Xi and Trump broached the subjects of the Ukraine war and Taiwan.
Xi told Trump that the island's "reunification with China" is essential for the Chinese outlook for the "post-war international order".
China has been engaged in a political dispute with Japan, a American partner, over the long-term "uncertain policy" on the control of self-governed Taiwan.
In the past few weeks, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi stated that an eventual Chinese attack on the island could compel a reaction by Tokyo's army.
Trump, but, did not discuss the Taiwan issue in his online message about the discussion.
US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, had earlier stated that the United States backs Tokyo in the context of China's "intimidation".
