Donald Trump Says He Will Visit China in Spring After Phone Conversation with President Xi
Leader Donald Trump has stated that he plans to visit China's capital in April and invited Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state visit later next year, following a telephone conversation between the two officials.
Trump and Xi—who convened nearly a month ago in South Korea—discussed a variety of topics including commerce, the Ukraine conflict, fentanyl, and Taiwan, according to the U.S. leader and Beijing's diplomatic corps.
"The U.S.-China ties is highly solid!" Trump stated in a Truth Social post.
Official Chinese media released a announcement that indicated both countries should "continue advancing, keep moving forward in the positive way on the foundation of fairness, mutual respect and mutual benefit".
Previous Meeting and Trade Developments
The heads of state held discussions in Busan, South Korea in the fall, following which they settled on a pause on import duties. The U.S. government opted to slash a 20% tariff by half targeting the movement of opioids.
Duties stay on imports and stand at just below 50%.
"Since then, the Sino-American ties has generally maintained a consistent and favorable course, and this is welcomed by the each side and the wider global audience," the Beijing's announcement noted.
- America then retracted a potential imposition of full extra duties on products, while Beijing postponed its plan to enforce its recent phase of restrictions on rare earths.
Focus on Trade
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Monday call 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 remarked.
Broader Topics
Along with addressing trade, Xi and Trump discussed the issues of the conflict in Ukraine and the island.
Xi informed Trump that Taiwan's "return to China" is essential for China's vision for the "global system after conflicts".
China has been part of a political dispute with Tokyo, a US ally, over the enduring "strategic ambiguity" on the authority of self-governed Taiwan.
Recently, Tokyo's head Sanae Takaichi commented that an eventual military action by China on Taiwan could force a reaction by Tokyo's army.
Trump, though, did not discuss the Taiwan issue in his online message about the call.
America's envoy to Tokyo, George Glass, noted before that the U.S. government stands with the Japanese in the context of China's "coercion".
